The Last Story I Will Ever Tell
by cheri1
Summary: 10Rose My name is Rose Tyler and this is the last story I will ever tell. The story of my betrayal of the Doctor and how I caused his death. FINISHED
1. Prologue

Prologue

My name is Rose Tyler and I am about to die.

I lay half dead in the snow waiting for death to take me. I'm past shivering now. There is only numbness as my body slowly succumbs to hypothermia. I didn't have to do this. I didn't have to be out here freezing to death in this blizzard. But, this was my choice. You see, I deserve it. I deserve death for what I've done. The man that meant more to me than anything is dead now and it's all because of me. I betrayed the Doctor, the only man I ever truly loved and caused him to be executed. And now, I'm carrying out my own death sentence. Executing myself for my crime.

As my eyes stare at the snow swirling around me, my mind thinks back over the events of the past few days. It seems like a lifetime since the Doctor and I were laughing and joking in the TARDIS as she flew through the vortex. We were so happy and so much in love. How did it come to this? How could I turn on him? I search my brain for something, anything to explain my behavior. To explain how I could have foolishly committed this unthinkable, unforgivable sin. But, I can't think of what possessed me to behave the way I did. But the glaring fact remains that I was in control of my own actions and made the decision that led to his betrayal and this knowledge that I was responsible tears my heart to shreds and saps my will to live. I silently urge my death on hoping that if I make it to Heaven and see the Doctor that somehow, someway he will forgive me and we can be together in the hereafter. A slight smile spreads over my face and I take a little bit of comfort in this scenario.

I raise my head hoping against hope that I will see him walking through the snow, the familiar look of concern and love on his face as he comes to rescue me, to take me away from this nightmare I find myself in. I can see it now. He's kneeling beside me and gathering me into his arms, whispering words of forgiveness as he presses me tight against his body. He carries me back to the TARDIS and after I'm revived, he chides me for even considering the possibility of suicide when he was alive and searching for me all along. Hope swells in my heart briefly as I search through the blinding blizzard for the familiar pin-striped suit and trench coat of my guardian angel, but all I can see is the snow obscuring everything in front of me. My head sinks back onto the snowdrift when I realize that he isn't coming, that he will never walk the Earth or any other planet again. My beloved is well and truly dead. This thought saps away the last of my will and I close my eyes waiting for the moment when I will breathe my last.

"Doctor," I murmur. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for what I did. I love you so much. Please forgive me."

The only response I get is the roaring of the wind as the snow pelts my face. A tear trickles down my cheek and freezes on my skin. My breathing becomes shallow as I embrace death and the relief it will bring from my torment.

My name is Rose Tyler and this is the story of my betrayal.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

_By now you may be asking yourself how I could do the unthinkable. How could I betray the Doctor when he has done so much for me, been my heart and soul and my guiding light? Protected me and supported me through thick and thin. Saw the courage and strength within me when no one else could? The most wonderful man in the universe and I caused his death. It seems impossible even now as I lay dying that I did it. But I did. _

_But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to the beginning when everything started. _

_It all started on an ordinary run-of-the mill day. (Well, for me. I do admit that my traveling through time and space in a blue box with a 900 year old alien is anything but ordinary but I'm sure you get my meaning.) Anyway, it was a typical day for me. I had just finished lunch and the Doctor was at the console doing his usual tinkering (or jiggery pokery as he calls it) I came into the room and…_

"Bollocks!" the Doctor said running his hand through his hair angrily.

Rose paused and stared at him.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing."

Rose raised her eyebrows.

"And…that's bad?"

"It is in this case." The Doctor replied.

"Why is it bad in this case?"

"Because the TARDIS is fully functional."

Rose frowned.

"Again, that's a bad thing?" she asked in confusion.

The Doctor sighed.

"Yes, because I was in the mood to fix something. There is nothing to fix though. Everything is working for a change."

He let out a sigh and leaned on the console.

"Damn, I was in the mood to tinker." He muttered, staring off into space.

He looked over at her.

"Any suggestions?" he asked.

"Um, you could break something and then fix it?"

Rose knew she had just said the wrong thing when she saw the gleam in the Doctor's eyes. She groaned inwardly.

_Nearly three years of traveling with him and I should know by now when to keep my big gob shut._ She thought.

"But if you're gonna do it, you should break something nonessential." She added quickly as disturbing visions floated through her mind of the Doctor pulling out a wire and the TARDIS crashing and burning five minutes later.

The Doctor stared at the console while he considered this.

"Nah, too much trouble." He muttered.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief.

"Actually, I have a better idea." He said turning to her.

"Yeah?"

"Pick three numbers." He said grinning.

"Oh, Doctor, not this again." Rose groaned.

"What? I love picking random places to go. It makes it more interesting for me. Now come on, Tyler, let's have three numbers."

He turned to the computer screen and looked over at her expectantly. Rose sighed.

"Okay…55, 9, 27." She said, shrugging.

The Doctor imputed the numbers.

"And the winning destination is…" he said watching the monitor.

He stared at the monitor thoughtfully.

"Hmmm…Would never have thought of going here." He muttered.

"What? What would you never have thought of?" Rose asked.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeell…" The Doctor said turning to face her.

He rubbed his earlobe.

"What did I pick, Doctor?"

"Zaphradia."

"Uh-huh, and is that a good choice then?"

"Well, it depends."

"Depends on what?"

"On whether you fancy traveling to a planet whose government is known for cruelly repressing its citizens and killing anyone who resists their policies." The Doctor said sniffing.

"That bad?"

"Yup. Course, there are worse planets out there, I suppose but the Zaphradians are legendary. Their rulers make Hitler look like Mahatma Gandhi."

"Ouch."

The Doctor nodded.

"Like I said, not a planet I would have chosen on my own. Went there once…oooooooo, blimey, it's been centuries. I think I went sometime in my fourth life and nearly got decapitated for insulting the vizier. Anyway, it's not a planet one would normally go to on holiday. If we did go, we would have to be mindful of our surroundings every minute. Watch everything we do or say because there are royal spies everywhere keeping watch over everything and everybody, and that goes double for out-of-towners."

He cocked his head.

"So, how 'bout it?" he said to her.

Rose's eyes bulged out of her head.

"Are you serious? After you just told me all that? You still wanna go?" she said in disbelief.

"Sure. Why not."

"Why not? You just said it's dangerous to travel there and…"

She paused a moment.

"Oh wait, that's the kind of thing that turns you on." She muttered.

"Precisely. Besides, we can't pick something else now. What's the point of playing this game if we just pick until we get something safe."

"Yeah, but…"

"Come on, Rose. Nothing's gonna happen to us." The Doctor said. "The Zaphradians really aren't all that bad."

"But you just said they almost chopped your head off once." Rose pointed out.

"Yeah, well, what'd you expect after I told the vizier a Muckluck had more brains than him."

"A what?"

"Muckluck, one-celled organism that resides on the planet Reyloc. Lives off the dung of other animals."

"Oh well, I can understand why the vizier would be insulted then." Rose said dryly.

"Anyway, that was six lives ago. I'm a different man. I know when to keep my mouth shut now."

Rose raised her eyebrow.

"So, how 'bout it? Up for some adventure on the planet Zaphradia?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

He walked over to her and took her hands.

"Come on, Rose. I promise I'll look after ya. I've kept ya alive this long, haven't I?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Well, just trust me; I'm a Time Lord that's been traveling time and space for centuries. I know what I'm doing. 'Sides we can handle anything that comes our way. We always do. So are you with me?"

_He looked into my eyes at that point. I stared back into those piercing brown eyes that were pleading for me to go along with him and well, I just couldn't say no. Not to him. He was so eager to go. He had a huge smile on his face like a little kid being told he was going to Disneyland. Not wanting to see the smile I loved so much vanish from his face, I rationalized away my misgivings and told myself he was right. If we ran into trouble, we would take care of it and then have a laugh about it later when we were back on the TARDIS. He was so overjoyed when I said yes. Grinning from ear to ear, he punched in the numbers I gave him. Then, I watched as he plopped down in the captain's chair eager for a new adventure with his girl by his side. Looking at him bursting with excitement, I swear to God the man didn't have a fearful bone in his whole entire body. It's one of the reasons why I love him so much. He can step onto the most dangerous planet in the universe and not give one thought to the fact that he's in peril. In the time that I've spent traveling with him, his behavior has managed to rub off on me and I too have faced down countless enemies and done it without any thought to my well-being. But still, I don't deliberately go off and look for trouble like he does. Sometimes, I wonder if losing his people gave the Doctor a death wish and he just continually tempts fate in the hope that one day his luck will run out and he won't be the last of the Time Lords anymore. Whatever his motives might be, he now had something to do for the day and he was more than happy to face any potential threats just so he could relieve his boredom. I, as his friend and lover, was more than willing to stand by his side and face the danger with him. But, as we hurtled through the vortex towards Zaphradia, something kept nagging at the back of my mind telling me this was a very bad idea. _

_Knowing what I know now, I should have listened to my instincts. _


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Jesus, it's freezing out here!" Rose said as she and the Doctor stepped outside the TARDIS into frigid temperatures and ankle deep snow.

She shivered as she zipped up her coat and hugged her arms tight around her body. She looked over at the Doctor who was wearing his usual pin-striped suit and trench coat. He wasn't shaking like she was. His teeth weren't chattering. He was just standing beside her with a bored look on his face as he calmly surveyed the landscape.

"Forgot winter came early here." He mused. "Ah well, can't be helped, I suppose."

He looked at Rose who was standing beside him. He offered his hand to her.

"Come on, there's a city about two miles away from here. We'll find somewhere warm there." He said gently.

"Why so far? Couldn't we have landed in the…"

Then it occurred to her.

"Oh yeah, they don't like strangers." She said.

"Exactly. I couldn't risk landing the TARDIS in the heart of the city and having it carted off somewhere where we can't get to it. There won't be spies out this far. They stick mainly to the cities. And since it's the dead of winter, they wouldn't risk coming out here anyway. The TARDIS will be safe here."

Rose felt her legs go numb from the snow and groaned knowing that a 2 mile walk awaited them. Sighing, she took the Doctor's hand and trudged through the snow towards the city.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time they reached the outskirts of the city, Rose was completely numb. She huddled close to the Doctor for warmth, but since the Doctor had a lower body temperature than hers, it didn't help much. A light snow had begun to fall and Rose was eager to find a nice warm shop to duck into. She was wondering if they had tea or hot chocolate on Zaphradia when she felt the Doctor tap her shoulder. She looked up at him.

"Okay, before we go deeper into the city, I want to give you a few rules. These are for your own safety, Rose, so I want you to obey them to the letter. Is that clear?"

Rose nodded.

The Doctor looked around and pointed to several people walking the streets ahead of them.

"See them, Rose? See how they have their heads down? That's not due to the snow or the cold temperatures, that's how people are expected to act when they are in public. They keep their heads down and keep eye contact to a minimum because they are trying not to draw attention to themselves. Not with spies running rampant. The slightest insult, real or perceived and they can be carted off to prison. So, you and I will emulate them while we are walking outside. We will do as much as we can to blend in and disappear with the general populace because trust me, Rose, in an environment this hostile, the last thing you wanna do is attract attention. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Good, next…you will stay by me at all times. I have some idea how this society functions, you don't. So, there will be absolutely no wandering off this time. You will stay where I can keep my eye on you and if there is danger and we need to flee, we will do it together. Got it?"

Rose nodded.

"Say it, Rose. I want to hear it coming from your lips."

"Yes, Doctor."

He nodded.

"Third…I will do the talking. Again, the wrong word can alert the wrong people and get you arrested and imprisoned. You can't trust anyone here, Rose. Spies are everywhere and they can be any gender, age, or profession. If you must talk, keep your voice low and keep your words to the bare minimum. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Doctor."

He took her by the shoulders.

"I'm doing this for your safety, Rose. For our safety. If you do something to piss off the higher-ups here, they will not hesitate to arrest you. And there will be no mercy. They have the power to execute anyone for anything. If you look at someone the wrong way, you could find yourself in the dungeon in a heartbeat. If we're gonna get outta here in one piece and live to brag about it, we have to be cautious."

"I understand, Doctor." Rose said.

He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Good, because I don't want to see you get hurt or killed over some petty slight." He said.

He squeezed her hand.

"Now, having said that, let's get inside out of the cold, okay?"

"Fine with me."

The Doctor smiled at her. He bowed her head and Rose followed suit.

"Just walk slowly and calmly and try to be inconspicuous." He said to her.

Rose nodded and they walked side by side deeper into the city. As they walked along, Rose kept her eyes to the ground only glancing up occasionally to make sure she wasn't going to run into anything. With every step she took, she had the unpleasant feeling that she was being watched, but she wasn't sure if someone was watching her every move or if she was only imagining it. She glanced over at the Doctor and saw that he had his head bowed and his eyes were to the ground. He glanced over and gave her a smile and a wink and Rose smiled back. Then, they looked at the ground again.

Rose glanced up and noticed there was an enormous billboard on the side of one of the buildings. It showed a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit and white shirt with black tie. He was portly and balding and his fat face stared out of the billboard with a look of disdain. Above him in huge black letters were the words LONG LIVE EMPEROR ZARGON.

"Is that the ruler here?" Rose said softly as she pointed to the sign.

The Doctor glanced up.

"Yes." He muttered. "That's the person you don't wanna piss off. Now keep your head down."

Rose nodded and lowered her head.

As they walked along, Rose couldn't help but notice how quiet the city was. She was used to the hectic pace of London and all the nonstop noise and traffic. Even when they had visited other cities on other planets or in other times, there were always the familiar sounds of the city to comfort her. But, except for the crunching of the snow beneath their feet, there was complete silence. It added to Rose's uncomfortable feeling that they stuck out here and it made her even more uneasy.

She got so used to the silence that she nearly had a heart attack when suddenly a booming voice nearby announced.

ATTENTION CITIZENS OF ZAPHROS!

She nearly screamed in surprise, but the Doctor grabbed her arm and she was able to stop herself. She looked around in confusion and noticed there was a kind of holographic projector running on a nearby street corner. It was projecting words onto a black backdrop as the voiceover declared…

THE PUBLIC EXECUTION OF THE PRISONER NAGRA WILL COMMENCE IN TWO MINUTES! LONG LIVE EMPEROR ZARGON!

Rose and the Doctor walked over and joined three people who had gather around the holo projector. They watched as the words faded and was replaced by a huge domed structure that was located somewhere outside. Rose noticed there was a huge metal black chair on a black metal platform inside the dome. She looked beyond the structure and saw people were milling about talking to each other as they waited for what Rose guessed was the execution. Then the picture abruptly changed to a dapper looking man sitting in a booth.

"Welcome citizens of Zaphros and all hail to our exalted ruler emperor Zargon." The man said. "I am Bartoc and as always I will be giving you my commentary on the execution as it occurs."

Rose looked at the Doctor.

"Is he serious? He's gonna do commentary like this is some kind of football match?" she asked softly.

"Sadly yes, Rose, the man is extremely serious. Public executions are a form of entertainment here just like they were in Roman times." The Doctor said angrily.

The picture cut to a split screen with Bartoc on one side and the execution chamber on the other.

"As you can see, the prisoner still has not been escorted from his cell," he said. "But, that should happen any second now as the hour of execution nears. The criminal Nagra, convicted of slanderous speech against our beloved emperor, is about to have his traitorous life ended in the gas chamber. This is, of course, after he was given a fair and impartial hearing in front of the most high exalted royal inquisition."

The Doctor snorted.

"And it looks like…yes, here comes the prison guards escorting Nagra to the gas chamber. So, let's cut away from here to the action below.

The gas chamber took up the whole screen and Rose saw two guards dressed in black dragging a struggling man towards the gas chamber.

"NO!" Rose heard Nagra screaming. "HAVE MERCY ON ME! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! SPARE MY LIFE!"

"Oops, looks like the prisoner is putting up a bit of a struggle." Bartoc said. "He's not going quietly, is he folks?"

Rose gasped as one of the guards grabbed a long, black nightstick hanging off his belt and hit Nagra hard on the head with it.

"And the guards have to resort to hitting him on the head to keep him quiet. Shameful indeed." Bartoc continued.

Nagra slumped forward, but Rose could tell he was still conscious. While he was dazed, the guards pulled him up a ramp, opened a door and entered the dome.

"And now the guards are strapping him into the execution chair, so it should be any second now, folks." Bartoc said.

Rose glanced up at the Doctor. She could tell he was enraged as he silently watched the proceedings. She looked back and saw that the guards had finished restraining Nagra in the chair and were now exiting the dome.

"And the guards are now away from the chamber and the gas is ready to be released." Bartoc continued.

Rose watched as a moment later, a lime green gas began to float up through the platform. She gasped as she saw Nagra convulsing violently in the chair. The Doctor grabbed a hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze as tears came to Rose's eyes. She didn't know this man, but she could tell by his spastic movements and the grimace on his face that he was in agony. Her heart went out to him and she wished more than anything that they knew where he was so they would be able to stop the execution.

Nagra convulsed a few more times and then his head slumped forward and his body stilled.

"And that's the end of the traitor Nagra!" Bartoc proclaimed happily. "Long live our exalted emperor!"

Rose felt like she was going to puke. The scene shifted back to Bartoc in his booth and Rose felt like reaching through the holo projector and choking the life out of him when she saw the smug grin plastered on his face.

"And that concludes today's execution, folks. Now, to wrap up the events, we turn to my co-host, Darzan, for his opinion."

He turned and the camera widened out to show an elderly looking man sitting beside him.

"Darzan, your thoughts?" he said smiling at him.

"Well, Bartoc, first off I think the prisoner's behavior was deplorable. All that yelling and screaming and resisting is unsightly and disturbing to our viewers. A prisoner needs to remember that the eyes of millions are upon him. He should act with dignity and accept his fate---"

"I've seen enough." Rose said turning away. "I can't watch anymore."

"Agreed." The Doctor said turning with her.

They walked away from the holo projector.

"But you see now how dangerous it is to make waves here?" The Doctor said to her. "If we don't watch ourselves, we could be arrested, imprisoned, and executed while people make sport of it. So, I repeat, do as I say, alright?"

"Yes, Doctor."

The Doctor nodded. He lowered his head and Rose did the same. They walked along the street for a couple of minutes and then Rose felt the Doctor tap her on the shoulder.

"In here, Rose."

Rose glanced at him and noticed the Doctor was gesturing to the building beside him. Silently, she turned and followed him inside it.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"It's a pub." Rose murmured to herself as they stepped inside the building.

Looking around, she noticed several people sitting at the bar and the tables, but as before there was not much conversation. When there was chit chat, it was done very softly and with much looking around beforehand to see if anyone was listening in. As she and the Doctor walked up to the bar, several people turned their heads towards them and eyed them suspiciously for a moment before they went back to their drinks.

The bartender also gave them a suspicious look before clearing his throat.

"What'll it be?" he asked.

Rose looked behind him at the assortment of bottles. She stared at the colored liquid inside them. She had no idea what any of them were so she deferred to the Doctor figuring he would be able to pick for them both.

"Um, two glasses of…"

He frowned as he stared at the bottles.

"Have anything non-alcoholic?" he asked politely.

The bartender stared at him, shocked.

"Did I just hear you right?" he said in disbelief.

"Yes, you did. We want something non-alcoholic if you don't mind."

The bartender reached under the counter. He brought up a dusty bottle that contained lavender colored liquid inside.

"I have Sarcolium juice." He said gesturing to the bottle. "And that's it."

The Doctor stared at the dust caked on the bottle.

"Bit dusty." He pointed out.

The bartender snorted.

"Yeah, well that's because you're the first person to come in here requesting something non-alcoholic." He said. "The only reason I have this is because my gran used to drink it and she passed away three years ago. Now, is this what you want or would you prefer to drink alcohol like everyone else in here?"

"No, no alcohol. The Sarcolium juice will be just fine."

"Wuss." The bartender muttered as he uncorked the bottle.

The Doctor and Rose backed up quickly as dust flew off the bottle in every direction. The Bartender grabbed two glass bowls and poured the juice into it.

"Is this all you're gonna have or should I just leave the bottle?" the bartender said sarcastically.

The Doctor ignored him. He and Rose took their glasses and walked over to a table near the bar as the bartender rolled his eyes, corked the bottle and put it back under the counter. They sat down beside each other and sat their bowls on the table.

"So, why after you told me we needed to blend in, are we being different and ordering a non-alcoholic drink?" Rose whispered to him.

"Because Rose, this is another safety precaution. You've heard the adage loose lips sink ships? Well, pubs are very popular on this planet. They're practically endorsed by the government and the reason for that is drunk people tend to loosen up once they've had too much and say things they wouldn't normally say. Makes it easier for the spies to do their jobs and it keeps the executioner in business."

"And the commentators." Rose added angrily.

"Exactly. And they know people come to these pubs to get drunk and escape from the drudgery of their existence so they make sure to keep the alcohol flowin'. I don't have to worry about getting drunk since I can control it, but I'm not about to have you become completely pissed, open your big mouth and have the spies on our backs."

"Oi!"

"Sorry, Rose, like mother, like daughter. You do get mouthy at times and I'm not about to help that along." The Doctor said. "Sarcolium juice will do fine."

Rose picked up her bowl and took a sip. She was surprised to discover that it tasted good.

"Mmmm," she said. "Kinda tastes like candy floss."

"Thought you'd like it." The Doctor said.

They drank in silence. Rose darted her eyes around looking at the other people. She quickly looked away when someone would catch her eye and give her a suspicious look. As they drank, they both let out a gasp as a drunken man slammed down into the seat beside the Doctor. He was a middle-aged man with thinning brown hair and piercing green eyes. He also reeked of alcohol. Rose bit back the urge to vomit from the stench.

"Hey buddy," he slurred out. "I haven't seen you two in here before. Where ya from?"

The Doctor bent down over his drink and said nothing. Rose did the same.

"Hey buddy, I'm talkin' to ya!" the man said poking the Doctor roughly in the arm.

The Doctor glared at him for a moment and then went back to sipping his drink.

The man hiccupped.

"Wha's matter? Bezok got ya tongue?" he slurred out. "I just asked ya a question."

"I'm not interested in conversation at the moment." The Doctor said tersely.

"Hey, I'm just tryin' to be friendly to ya. Ya don't need to get all pissy!" the man said angrily.

The man leered at Rose.

"Well, maybe I just talk to ya lady friend then." He said sliding over into the chair next to her.

He gasped when the Doctor seized his arm.

"I wouldn't recommend it!" the Doctor said as his eyes flashed him a warning.

"Wha the Hell is with ya, buddy?" the man slurred. "Too high and mighty to talk to me, is that it? I ain't never seen ya in here before. You one of those royal stooges? Cause if you are, I got something to say about ya boss."

He drunkenly flipped off the Doctor.

"That's what I think of ya boss!" he yelled.

Rose's eyes widened as all conversation was cut short and all eyes turned toward them.

"On that note, I think it's time to leave, Rose." The Doctor muttered as he took her hand.

Rose nodded and both of them quickly stood up.

"Hey, where ya goin?" the man yelled at them. "You gonna go tattle to the king 'bout me, is that where ya goin'?"

Rose noticed that several people started coming towards them and she could sense they weren't wanting to strike up a conversation with her and the Doctor from the look of menace in their eyes. The Doctor glanced around and tugged on Rose's hand.

"Let's go, Rose." He said.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Rose replied.

She and the Doctor hurried around the tables and out the door as everyone stared at them and muttered amongst themselves. Everyone that is except for two people standing near the back. They looked at each other and nodded.

Once they were outside, Rose tugged at the Doctor's sleeve.

"Um, Doctor, I think we can leave now." Rose said. "I've had my fill of Zaphradia. "

"Yeah, I agree. I think we've seen enough of this planet." The Doctor said. "Let's get back to the TARDIS."

They started to walk away when suddenly the pub door banged open and the man stumbled out. He glared at them and flipped them off as he headed towards the curb, unzipped his trousers and urinated on the street. The Doctor glanced at Rose.

"Yup, definitely had my fill of Zaphradia." He said taking her hand.

They crossed the street and headed out of the city. As they walked, Rose glanced back over her shoulder and saw the man was following them.

"Doctor." She said tugging at his trench coat.

"I know he's back there, Rose." The Doctor replied. "It's okay; I won't let him hurt you. Just keep walking."

Rose nodded. She huddled close to the Doctor and he put his arm around her.

"Hey!"

Rose sighed and glanced back at the man.

"You tell the king from me that I hope he burns in Hell!" he shouted to them.

"Doctor, he isn't gonna follow us all the way to the TARDIS, is he?" Rose asked.

"No, because if he doesn't quit following us in the next few minutes, I'm gonna turn around and put a stop to this." The Doctor replied. "Just keep on walking in the meantime, maybe he'll give up when he sees we aren't paying attention to him."

They quickened their pace as the man continued to follow them, shouting abusive words at the top of his lungs.

"Blimey, the way he's going he'll be lucky to make it home without being nabbed." The Doctor muttered to Rose.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"

The Doctor and Rose spun around and saw two men had grabbed the man by his arms.

"Doctor, I recognize them. They were sitting in the pub near the back." Rose said.

"Then they're spies, Rose. I'm afraid our friend's luck just ran out." The Doctor said.

One of the spies looked at the Doctor and Rose.

"You there! Move along before we haul you in as well!" he shouted to them.

They watched as they pulled the kicking and screaming man back down the road.

"Doctor, we have to do something. We can't let him be executed. He's just drunk, is all! Please, we have to save him!" Rose begged.

The Doctor looked at her and looked back at the man who was trying in vain to break free from the spies. He watched as they both turned around and walked backwards dragging him up onto the sidewalk. Suddenly, he saw an opportunity. He noticed a wooden sign hanging from a metal rod above one of the shops. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the metal hooks holding the sigh up. He waited until the spies passed under the sign and then turned the screwdriver on. The metal hooks snapped and the sign crashed down onto the spies heads knocking them both out cold. The man stumbled forward and looked back at the men, confused, as the Doctor put his screwdriver back in his jacket pocket.

"There, I've done my good deed for the day. Now, let's get going before their friends show up." The Doctor said.

They turned and quickly headed down the street.

"HEY!"

The Doctor looked back and saw the man stumbling towards them.

"HEY!" he screamed at them. "WAIT!"

"Just walk, Rose." The Doctor muttered.

"WAIT, DAMMIT! I WANNA TALK TO YA! I KNOW YA DID SOMETHING TO STOP THOSE MEN! I WANNA THANK YA!"

The Doctor groaned as he saw several lights coming on in the windows above the shops. He looked over as someone living over the shop beside them opened his window and leaned out.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP IN HERE!" he screamed at them.

"AW, SCREW YOU, BUDDY!" the man said flipping him off.

"Drunken asshole!" the Doctor heard the irate man said as he leaned back in and slammed his window down.

The Doctor turned to the man who was staggering up to him.

"Could you keep it down?" The Doctor said to him. "We'd like to get outta here without attracting attention to ourselves, if you don't mind."

"Where ya goin'? The snows startin' to pick up." The man said pointing a finger at the swirling snow.

"Yes, that's why we need to get going. I'm glad you're grateful for us rescuing you. It was nothing really, but I would advise you in future not to drink. You'll get into less trouble that way. Now if you don't mind, we have to leave."

"But, it's gettin' dark now. You come with me. I know a group of people who'll take ya in for the night." The man said.

The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other.

"I appreciate the offer, really, but it's better if we just keep moving." The Doctor said.

"How far ya gotta go?" the man asked.

"A couple of miles."

"A COUPLE OF MILES! NO, YOU TWO COME WITH ME THIS INSTANT!"

The Doctor winced as he noticed lights coming on in the windows again. He looked over at the unconscious spies and knew that it was only a matter of time until more spies showed up. Especially since the drunken man in front of them wouldn't shut up or let them leave. He sighed.

"Alright, fine, let's see this place of yours and if we approve, we'll spend the night, okay?" the Doctor said. "Anything to get us off the street and away from prying eyes."

"Why? You with the resistance?" the man slurred out.

He gave them a drunken grin and pointed at them.

"You are, aren't you? That's why ya saved me just now!" he said.

He jabbed his finger at his chest.

"Me too!" he said. "I am helping to fight the king and his government and I can take ya to our headquarters. You'll be welcomed there."

"Yes, fine, let's get going." The Doctor said when he saw several men turn a corner halfway up the street and walk towards them. "Just lead the way."

"Ya got it! Just ya and ya lady friend follow me." The man said.

"Doctor, are you sure this is wise?" Rose asked as the Doctor took her hand.

"We don't have a choice, Rose. We need to keep him quiet or we're all gonna end up in the gas chamber. Let's just have a look at this place and if it isn't suitable, we'll sneak out when no one's looking. For the moment, we gotta get ourselves as far away as possible before people start asking questions."

Rose nodded. They followed the man as he staggered off down an alleyway.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The man led the Doctor and Rose through the swirling snow searching for the resistance headquarters. He was extremely unsteady and every once in awhile he nearly succeeding in tripping over his own feet. Rose looked at their drunken guide and shook her head.

"Doctor, are you sure we can trust this guy?" she whispered to him. "I mean he's so pissed he can barely walk. What if he's too drunk to realize where he's going to?"

"We don't have a choice, Rose. The snow is picking up and it's getting dark. Walking to the TARDIS would be treacherous now. It's better to follow him for the moment and take whatever shelter he has to offer."

Rose gasped as the man stumbled and nearly fell headfirst into the snow.

"I just hope the guy is with it enough to find this headquarters before we all freeze to death." She muttered.

They followed him for about a half hour as he led them through the deserted streets and alleyways. Finally, they went into an alleyway and the man stopped and held up his hand.

"Here it is." He slurred. "Wait here a moment, I gotta make sure it's okay to let you in."

Rose looked around but she couldn't see any doors or windows. She couldn't see anything except a rubbish skip halfway down the alley. The man staggered over to it and opened the lid. He looked down into it and looked over at the Doctor and Rose.

"Get in." he said pointing inside.

Rose's eyes widened.

"You've gotta be kidding me." She said.

"C'mon, get in." the man said emphatically.

He glared at them when the Doctor and Rose didn't make a move.

"Fine, I'll get in first." He said.

They watched while the man climbed into the skip.

COME ON!" he yelled to the Doctor and Rose.

Rose looked at the Doctor.

"Should we?" she said.

"You have a better idea?" he replied.

"Yes, but he's standing in a rubbish skip. Are we supposed to spend the night in that? I---"

She paused when she heard the sound of metal rubbing on metal. She looked over at the skip and noticed the man's head wasn't visible. After a moment, he reappeared.

"Come here! I ain't gonna stand here and freeze my ass off all night waitin' for ya!" he said angrily.

The Doctor sighed.

"Come on, Rose, let's humor him before he wakes up the city." He said.

They walked towards the skip.

"'Bout time." The man said.

He ducked back down. The Doctor and Rose walked up and peered in. Their eyes widened when they saw that a metal section had been removed at the back of the skip and there was an enormous hole in the wall directly behind it. The man looked up at them.

"Ya comin'?" he asked, pointing to the hole.

Rose and The Doctor looked at each other and climbed into the skip. They landed with a thump on the small amount of rubbish at the bottom of the skip and crouched down beside the man.

"Wait right here." He said. "There's a guard up ahead. I gotta clear this with him."

He reached into the hole, pulled out a glass ball, shook it until it glowed with a bright blue light and crawled inside. The Doctor and Rose huddled together trying to keep warm while they waited for him to return. As they crouched, they heard faint voices coming out of the hole, the man and someone else's. A minute later, the man crawled back out of the hole followed by a raven haired man who eyed them suspiciously.

"You say you're with the resistance?" the raven haired man asked them.

The Doctor glanced at Rose.

"Yes, we are." He said.

"What are your names?"

"I am the Doctor and this is Rose."

The raven haired man raised his eyebrows.

"A doctor, you say? Medical doctor?"

"Um, I have some medical training." The Doctor replied.

The raven haired man rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I see." He said. "Would you mind treating someone then?"

"I'll do my best." The Doctor replied. "What's wrong with him?"

"Her. She was captured by spies' a couple of days ago and imprisoned. They tortured her pretty badly. We have a man on the inside of the prison…or we did until he was discovered and executed…he managed to get her to safety before they got him, but she's hurt and in need of medical attention. Could you tend to her in return for food and shelter?"

"I will do what I can. I can't guarantee anything. I'd have to have a look at her first." The Doctor said.

The raven haired man nodded.

"You will be watched of course. At least for a couple of days. We need to be sure you aren't government goons sent to spy on us."

"I understand." The Doctor said. "We'll only be staying the night though, if you don't mind."

"I do mind." The man slurred out. "You're with us now. You have to stay."

"Be quiet Quazak," the raven haired man said.

The raven haired man eyed them suspiciously

"Where are you headed in the morning?"

"To our ship. We're leaving the planet and going on our way. So, if you're thinking we're going to go sneaking off in the morning to inform on you lot, think again. Rose and I are only visiting Zaphradia, nothing more."

The raven haired man chuckled.

"You picked an odd place to go on holiday, buddy." He said. "Still, Quazak tells me you saved his life tonight and I suppose that proves you're not on their side. If you and Rose need food and shelter, then it's yours."

"Thank you." The Doctor said gratefully.

The raven haired man looked at Quazak.

"Go and tell the others that we have two guests coming for the night, and tell Myra to fix them something hot to eat."

"Gotcha." Quazak said.

He gave the Doctor and Rose a drunken smile and crawled back into the hole.

"Don't mind Quazak, he's a good guy." The raven haired man said hooking his thumb back at the hole. "He tends to hit the sauce a little too much, but no one can blame him. The way things are around here, it's better to be pissed outta your mind than face reality."

The Doctor nodded.

"Name's Zak, by the way." He said extending his hand.

The Doctor and Rose shook his hand.

"And…sorry, I'm lousy with names so I need to repeat them to help me remember. You're Rose…and you said you're the Doctor. Doctor who?"

"Just call me Doctor."

Zak raised his eyebrow.

"Using an alias?" he asked.

The Doctor glanced at Rose.

"You could say that."

Zak nodded.

"Running from the law?" he asked.

"Um, kinda sorta, I guess. I was on the run at one point, but I'm not anymore. I just like the name Doctor."

"Fair enough." Zak said. "Got a lot of people with us who use aliases, so we're all used to it."

He smiled at them.

"Well, Quazak's probably told everyone about you by now," He said reaching into the hole and pulling out another ball." so if you'll just crawl inside the hole, I'll close up everything and follow you in."

He gestured to the hole.

"After you." He said.

"Go ahead, Rose, I'll be right behind."

Rose nodded. She got down on her hands and knees. Zak shook the ball and gave it to her. Holding it in front of her, she crawled into the hole. The Doctor waited until her feet were through the hole before he crawled in after her. Zak stood up, closed the skip's lid, then he slid into the hole, slid back the metal panel that obscured the hole from the outside world and followed the Doctor and Rose into the headquarters.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Rose crawled along a narrow brick tunnel. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out what was ahead of her.

"Just keep going forward, Zak?" she called out.

"Yeah, you have a couple feet more and then there'll be a hole in the floor. Drop through it when you get to it and you'll be in the sewer system. Then, wait till we come down and I'll lead the way." He called back.

"Ugh, first rubbish skips and now sewers? What's next after the sewer, a cesspool?" she muttered.

She gasped and nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt the Doctor pinch her butt.

"Doctor! What the Hell? I about hit my head on the top of the bleedin' tunnel!" Rose said as the Doctor giggled.

"Sorry, Rose, I'm back here watching your butt wiggle around and I just couldn't resist pinching it." He said.

Rose rolled her eyes when he reached out and poked her right butt cheek.

"Are you havin' fun?" Rose asked.

"Loads. Right at this very moment I'm debating whether or not to give you a wedgie."

"You do and by God, I'll find a loose brick and beat you with it. Keep your hands to your…"

Rose let out a gasp. She was so preoccupied with what the Doctor was doing that she nearly tumbled head first into the hole. Grumbling, she maneuvered around in the tight space until she was sitting on the floor with her legs dangling into it. She looked back at the Doctor and snorted at the look of innocence he was giving her. She looked back at the hole and held the ball over it trying to see how deep it was.

"Is it far?" she asked Zak.

"Not far, just drop down."

"Come on, Tyler, just pretend you're a Ninja Turtle and drop down into the sewer!"

"Shut up, Doctor!" she said as he snickered.

She scooted closer to the edge and prepared to go in. She hesitated a moment hoping Zak was telling the truth and the drop really was a short one. As she scooted a bit more, she suddenly stopped and let out an angry sigh.

"Doctor, quit poking my bum with your finger or I'll break it off." She said.

She looked behind her and saw the Doctor grin as he withdrew his hand. She looked back at the hole, took a deep breath and slid off the edge.

Rose let out a grunt as her feet hit the stone floor of the sewer. She held her hand over her nose.

"Christ, it reeks in here." She said.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Tyler, Teenage Mutant Ninja Tyler, Teenage Mutant Ninja Tyler, Hero in a nut shell, TYLER POWER!"

Rose looked up at the Doctor who was sitting with his legs dangling into the hole as he sang loudly and off-key. He stopped and gave her a crazy little grin.

"Yuk, yuk, that was just bleedin' hilarious, that was." Rose said to him. "Now if you're quite finished, why don't you get down here?"

"Well, I would, but a certain someone is directly under me. So, unless you fancy me using your body for a cushion, I suggest you move out of the way." He replied.

Rose quickly moved off to the side and watched as the Doctor dropped down. He gave her an exaggerated grimace and put his hand over his nose.

"Christ, it reeks in here." He said in a high-pitched feminine voice. "How can that be? I always thought a sewer was supposed to smell like potpourri!"

Rose flipped him off.

The Doctor moved out of the way and Zak dropped down beside him.

"Do you two always joke around like this?" he asked them.

"Always." The Doctor replied.

Zak raised his eyebrow.

"Not really the time and place for it."

"On the contrary," the Doctor said. "I believe one should always have a healthy sense of humor and laugh even when everything is miserable. It keeps ya sane and it's a great weapon against a repressive government. If there's one thing dictators can't stand, it's mockery and ridicule from their subjects."

Zak shrugged.

"To each his own I guess." He muttered.

He walked over to Rose and took the glass ball from her hand.

"This way." He said.

The Doctor took Rose's hand and they followed him deeper into the sewer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Enter."

Emperor Zargon looked up from his paperwork and beckoned to his vizier to approach him.

"All hail Emperor Zargon!" he said prostrating himself.

Zargon nodded.

"What do you want, Sarfak, I'm busy." He said gesturing to the paperwork on the desk. "I have orders of execution that need to be signed."

"A thousand pardons, your majesty," Sarfak said bowing. "Two of our spies, Melnick and Corton seek an audience. They have news to report."

Zargon sighed.

"Make it quick, I'm busy." He said.

"Yes, sire." Sarfak said bowing.

He quickly exited the room. A moment later, the door opened and the two spies from the pub entered and fell to their knees.

"Long live Emperor Zargon!" they yelled in unison.

Zargon let out a bored sigh and nodded.

"Rise and report."

The spies stood up.

"Emperor Zargon, we were doing surveillance in the Golden Golchak tonight." Corton said.

"The what?" Zargon said.

"A pub, your sire."

"Oh…carry on then." Zargon said.

"Yes sire," Corton said. "We were doing surveillance and we noticed two strangers, a male and a female, walk into the pub. They were approached by a man who was drunk and rowdy. The two strangers left and the man followed them shouting and screaming rude things at the top of his lungs. We apprehended him and was about to take him in for questioning when we noticed the male pull something from his pocket and aim it at us."

Corton paused.

"Yes, go on." Zargon said. "What happened next?"

"Um, sire, a sign fell on our heads and knocked us out." He said sheepishly.

"A sign?" Zargon said.

"Yes, sire," Melnick said. "And when we woke up, the male and the female had gone with the man."

"What makes you think this male and female are with this other man?"

"Because we just got a report that they are currently hiding out with the resistance." Corton said.

"And how do you know this?" Zargon asked.

"We have a couple of spies within their ranks. They reported to us as soon as they were able."

"Do they know who this man and woman are?"

"All we know at the moment is that they are from off world. The female is called Rose and the man calls himself by the alias Doctor. The Doctor claims to have some medical training. He has been asked to assist in the treatment of the female prisoner that escaped recently. We also know they have some kind of transportation a couple of miles outside the city. That is all we know at present but our spies will keep tabs on them and report back to us. Unless…your majesty wishes to give our spies the go-ahead to apprehend and bring them in for questioning?"

"No, not yet, I wish to find out more about this Doctor and Rose. Tell them to keep a close watch on them and keep them in the city. Tell them they must not allow them to leave. Do not raise their suspicions. I want them to feel comfortable enough that they will talk without any apprehension. Then, when the time is right, we will bring them here."

"Yes, sire." Melnick said. "We will inform our spies of your orders at once."

"Good, now leave me. I'm busy." Zargon said waving his hand.

They bowed and left the room leaving Zargon alone with his paperwork.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Here we are." Zak said as they stepped through a hole in the sewer wall into a large room." This is our headquarters."

The Doctor looked around. The only light in the room was coming from burning torches stuck into cracks in the wall and the glowing balls. He noticed several people looking at them fearfully through another large hole in the wall and he smiled and nodded at them. He watched as the people stepped back and let Quazak through.

"Their room is ready and Myra managed to fix something for them." He said to Zak.

Quazak looked at the Doctor.

"It's not a whole lot of food and the beds are just cots, but we really don't have much at the moment. What little we get, we have to steal and it's becoming harder and harder to nick things without spies breathing down our necks."

"Whatever you have is fine." The Doctor said. "Like I said, Rose and I will just be spending the night and then be on our way in the morning. Now about this girl you want me to examine…"

"Oh yes, she's this way." Quazak pointing back towards the hole in the wall. "If you want to follow me, Zak can take Rose to Myra and she can go ahead and eat---"

"No, if you don't mind, I want Rose to stay with me. I might need some help." The Doctor said quickly.

Zak looked at Rose.

"You sure? I'm sure you must be starving by now." He said to her.

"I am, but it can wait. The Doctor might need my help. I'd rather stay with him." Rose said.

Zak shrugged as the Doctor leaned down into her ear.

"Good answer." He said to her.

"Well, then, if you're going with the Doctor and Quazak, I'll go ahead and go back to guard duty." Zak said. "It was nice meeting both of you."

"Same here." The Doctor said.

"Thank you for everything." Rose added.

"No problem. Always happy to help out people who are willing to help bring down Emperor Zargon." Zak said.

"Yes, well, about that…you see, Rose and I are just visiting and---"

"Well, it's getting late." Zak said. "Gotta get back to guard duty. Have a pleasant night."

He quickly hurried out of the room.

"Follow me." Quazak said.

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other and followed him through the hole. As he led them through various rooms, Rose looked at Quazak and noticed his walk was a lot steadier.

"Um…I don't mean to be rude, but you don't look that drunk anymore." She said. "You've sobered up already?"

"Yeah, kinda. Myra knows this great remedy that helps you sober up. I took it and I feel better already. In another few hours, I'll be back to normal."

He turned to the Doctor and Rose.

"I apologize for my behavior." He said sheepishly. "I…tend to get mouthy and out of control when I get drunk."

"Evidently so." The Doctor said.

"Well, I didn't mean to get you two in trouble. I'm sorry for that." Quazak said.

He smiled.

"But on the plus side, I met two new friends and allies in our fight against the government." He added.

"Yes, well, as I keep trying to tell everyone. Rose and I are going to be leaving in the morning." The Doctor said.

Quazak frowned.

"You aren't gonna help out? You're kidding. We need all the help we can get."

"Yes, I understand that, but---"

"Doctor, people are dying every day. We barely got Safira out of the prison alive. I mean, if you look at her, you'll see how severe her injuries are. And all she was guilty of is being out on the streets without a male escort. Things are bad; Doctor and they're getting worse every day. You obviously sympathize with our side if you stepped in to save me. Just take a look at Safira and then tell me you don't want to help us."

The Doctor sighed.

"I can't guarantee anything, alright? I only agreed to treat Safira in return for room and board for me and Rose and that is all I'm agreeing to at the moment. If I join this revolution of yours, I will do it of my own free will. I do not like being manipulated, Quazak and I certainly don't like people using others in their manipulations."

"I didn't mean to give off the impression that I was manipulating you, Doctor." Quazak said. "I'm not. I was only pointing out the truth to you. Injustices happen here every day and we are being repressed more and more. Soon, we will be nothing more than puppets being told what to do and where to go and how to think. If we don't stop Zargon soon, we'll be nothing more than cattle that wait around patiently and obediently until they are taken to the slaughterhouse."

He held up his hands.

"That's all I'll say about it, Doctor. All that really matters to me is that Safira recovers from her injuries."

He gestured to an opening in the wall in front of them.

"She's in here. There are some medical supplies in the room. Not much, though, like I said we have to nick what we can get."

"Well, I do have a fully equipped med bay back at my ship. If you would let me transport Safira back there, I can probably heal her wounds and---"

"Tonight? You want to carry Safira through a snowstorm?"

"Well, not tonight, but in the morning Rose and I can go back to my ship with her."

"Um, I don't know if that would be possible." Quazak said uneasily.

The Doctor folded his arms over his chest.

"And why not?" he demanded.

"Well, I don't know if the others would like you taking off with Safira. I mean you are strangers and all."

The Doctor sighed.

"Then Rose and I will go ourselves and fetch the things we need. Would that be okay with everyone or are we in fact prisoners here?"

"You're not prisoners. You're free to come and go whenever you like."

"Really? Because I get the distinct feeling that we're not." The Doctor said eyeing him.

"Well, it's just that you're new here and---"

"Yes, I know, newcomers are viewed with suspicion. But, you know, Quazak every once in awhile you have to take a chance and put your trust in people. Otherwise, you end up with everyone spending their time spying on everyone else and then nothing gets done. Now, do you want me to heal Safira?"

"Yes."

"Then, you'd better let Rose and I go back to my ship in the morning, because if her wounds are as bad as you claim I have a feeling that what you have will not be enough. I give you my word that Rose and I will return with the necessary supplies and once Safira is stabilized I can show you how to care for her and then we are on our way. Alright?"

His eyes narrowed when Quazak hesitated.

"Is that alright?" he repeated.

"Yeah."

"Good, now Safira is in this room?"

"Yes."

"Good, then stand aside and let me and Rose earn our room and board for the night." He said.

Quazak stepped aside and let Rose and the Doctor pass. Once they were through the hole he grabbed a glo-ball, turned and went the other way.

As Quazak stepped through the hole, he stopped and stared at three men who were standing around the hole watching what was happening.

"Oi! Go and find something else to do and quit being nosy!" He said angrily.

He shooed them away and followed behind them leaving the Doctor and Rose with Safira.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The Doctor looked around the room. Two glo-balls were on either side of the room bathing the room in an eerie blue light. In the center of the room the Doctor saw a woman lying on a cot.

"Safira?" the Doctor said slowly walking over to her.

Safira opened her eyes and stared at him.

"Rose bring me that ball over there so I can get a better look at her." The Doctor said pointing to the glo-ball on his left.

Rose obeyed as the Doctor carefully put his hand on Safira's shoulder.

"Safira," he said gently. "I'm the Doctor and this is Rose. We're going to be treating you. Is that okay?"

Safira nodded weakly. The Doctor reached over and took the glo-ball from Rose's hand and held it over her body while he pulled her cover down to her feet. Rose knelt down beside him and they stared at her in shock. Safira looked like she was no more than sixteen years old but her face already had wrinkles and lines on it. Her light blue eyes stared up at them with the weariness of someone who had been through Hell and back. The Doctor stared at her blonde hair and noticed how similar in color it was to Rose's. In fact, if it wasn't for the blue eyes, he could have sworn Safira was Rose's sister. He swallowed hard. He remembered all those times he had tended to Rose after she had been injured and seen the same look in her eyes. He quickly cleared that thought from his mind. He needed to be objective here and keep a level head. There was an injured woman in front of him and the last thing he needed to do was to equate Rose with her. Especially since he had a sneaking suspicion that was another part of Quazak's plan to convince Rose and him to stay here. He held the glo-ball closer as he gently lifted off the nightdress that had been resting on top of her. Both he and Rose gasped in unison at what they saw. The woman had whip and burn and bruise marks all over her body and there were chafe marks on her wrists and ankles from where she had been tied up. The Doctor gently touched her body and winced when Safira groaned. He felt rage bubbling up within him at what they had done to her and he quickly pushed the rage back down. He looked over beside Rose at a tiny table filled with medical supplies.

"Damn!" he cursed when he noticed the supplies consisted of bandages, tape, a basin of water with a flannel in it and a jar of ointment.

He reached over Rose and grabbed the ointment. Holding the glo-ball up in front of it, he read the label and cursed again.

"What is it, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Shuckberry ointment."

"Is that good?"

The Doctor sighed and shook his head.

"No better than Aloe Vera. It'll soothe her injuries, but it won't heal anything."

He slammed the jar back down on the table and threw up his hands. He stood up and gestured to Rose to follow him. They walked over and stood by the hole and he leaned in.

"I don't know what they expect me to do, Rose." He said softly."What they have won't do anything except make her comfortable and keep out infection. If they want her cured they are gonna have to let us go back to the TARDIS. Otherwise, she stays this way."

"Yeah, but Quazak freaks out every time we mention we're going back." Rose said softly.

"Well, if he wants Safira healed, he better stop freaking out, I guess." The Doctor said. "Right now, all we can do is clean her wounds and put the ointment and bandages on."

"Doc…tor?"

The Doctor looked over at Safira who was calling to him.

"Come on, Rose. We'll do what we can for her with what we have at present and that's all we can do. If they want more, they're gonna have to let us walk outta here and trust us to come back." He muttered to her.

He forced himself to smile as he walked back over to Safira and he and Rose squatted down beside her.

"Doc…tor, you said…that's your name?" she said weakly.

"Yes, I'm the Doctor." He said smiling at her.

"Can…can…you help…me?"

The Doctor glanced at Rose.

"Rose and I can help make you comfortable for tonight, Safira. There isn't anything in here that can heal your wounds. We have to go back to my ship in the morning to get the stuff I need. Once we get the supplies, we'll return and help you, okay?"

"You'll…come back?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Promise?"

"I promise. I won't leave for good until I know that you are going to be alright." He said gently.

He smiled at her.

"Now just close your eyes and relax and Rose and I will tend to your wounds." He said.

Safira nodded. She closed her eyes as Rose handed the Doctor the wet flannel. Gently, the Doctor began to clean her wounds checking Safira's face for any sign of discomfort. As he wiped the flannel on her body, he felt the rage return. This woman was about four years younger than Rose. Even though her face was scarred and bruised and careworn, he could still see how beautiful she was. How could anyone think of harming her? He glanced back up at her face and he could tell that the pressure of the flannel against her wounds was making her uncomfortable, but she was enduring the pain in silence. The Doctor admired her courage. She had been through so much. Been through more than any sixteen year old should have to go through and yet here she was, still alive, still hanging on and allowing two total strangers to clean her wounds and heal her body. He paused and let Rose apply the ointment to her wounds as he dipped the flannel in the water and wrung it out.

"Safira." He said to her.

Safira opened her eyes.

"Yes, Doctor?" she murmured.

"Rose and I need to turn you on your side so we can take a look at the back. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes." She said softly.

The Doctor looked at Rose. She nodded, rose and went around him.

"Put your hands under her hips and on the count of three, we both turn her slowly." He instructed her as she squatted back down.

Rose nodded and gently slid her hands under her hips. The Doctor slid his hands under her right shoulder and back and looked at Rose.

"Ready?"

"Yup."

"1…2…3"

There was a soft groan from Safira as they gently moved her onto her side. The Doctor sighed when he stared at her back. It was just as bad as her front.

"Damn them." He muttered.

Calmly, he lifted the flannel and gently cleaned her wounds. Rose waited until they had dried a little before applying the ointment and working in unison they were able to finish up quickly.

"Do we need the bandages now, Doctor?" Rose asked.

The Doctor stared at her wounds for a moment.

"No, not right now. Let the wounds get some air." He said.

Rose nodded and put the ointment jar back on the table as the Doctor lightly covered Safira with the blanket up to her chest.

"Safira?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Can you lay on your side for a bit so your back can get some air on it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Try to get some sleep now and I'll be in to check on you later." He said as he and Rose stood up.

He put the basin back under the table and he and Rose stood and walked towards the hole.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor turned and looked at Safira.

"Yes, Safira."

"Thank you."

The Doctor smiled.

"You're welcome." He said tenderly. "Now get some sleep."

He put his arm around Rose's shoulders and stepped through the hole. He paused when he saw Quazak and another man were standing on the other side.

"Oh, you're done?" Quazak asked.

The Doctor sighed.

"We did what we could, but unfortunately I need to go back to my ship in the morning; otherwise, those wounds will never heal. So, are you gonna let me do that?"

Quazak hesitated a moment.

"Yes, that's fine. Get what you need." He said.

"Thank you." The Doctor replied.

He stared at the two men in front of him.

"Is there something else you need?" he asked him when they didn't say anything.

"Oh! Um…sorry, Pyotor is set to go on guard duty and he wanted to tell me something before he left. I wanted to see how things were going, so Pyotor followed me." He replied.

He smiled at them.

"If you are done now, Myra has some bread and soup for you. I can take you to the kitchen and then afterwards show you to your room."

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"Yes, that's fine. I think Rose is hungrier than I am, but I'll eat with her."

"Then, follow me. I'll show you where the kitchen is."

He looked at Pyotor.

"Is there anything else you need, Pyotor?"

"No, I just wanted to let you know what was going on up top. I'll go and relieve Zak now." Pyotor replied.

"Okay, see you later."

They watched as Pyotor took a glo-ball and exited the room. Quazak smiled at them.

"Weather report." He said gesturing to the hole. "The storm's getting worse. Almost zero visibility now. It's a good thing I ran into you tonight, eh?"

"I suppose." The Doctor replied.

"Well, come on; follow me before your soup gets cold." Quazak said.

He raised his glo-ball in front of him and Rose and the Doctor followed him out.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Here they are, Myra." Quazak said as he escorted the Doctor and Rose into the kitchen.

A plump elderly woman with silver curls looked over and smiled at them. She put a tea towel by the sink and walked over to greet them.

"It's nice to meet you." She said pleasantly as they took hold of the Doctor and Rose's hands. "I have a nice hot meal waiting for both of ya. You must be tired and cold by now."

"I am." Rose said.

"So, am I." the Doctor admitted.

"Well come and have a sit down then and get some food in your stomachs." She said tugging at their hands.

She looked at Quazak.

"How 'bout you, love? You want some soup as well?" she asked him.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just want to get some sleep now. It's been a long day." He said.

"Good night, then." Myra said.

"Good night."

He looked at the Doctor and Rose.

"I'll see you in the morning." He said to them.

The Doctor and Rose nodded politely. Quazak smiled and left the room.

"Well, sit down and rest yourselves." Myra said gesturing to the table.

The Doctor looked around the room and noticed that unlike the other rooms, this one had electric lights in it. He looked at the stove and the pot of soup bubbling on the burner.

"How did you get electricity down here?" the Doctor asked.

"We tapped into the power line." Myra said as the Doctor and Rose sat down at the table. "We only have electricity in a couple of rooms though; we don't want to raise suspicion from the government that we're nicking their electricity."

She picked up a ladle and poured soup into two wooden bowls. She sat the bowls on two huge wooden plates, put some brown bread beside the bowls and carried it to the table.

"There ya go, loves. Eat up." She said.

The Doctor and Rose smiled at her and picked up the bowls. They sipped the hot soup and ate their bread while Myra finished washing up the dishes. As they ate, Rose looked over at the Doctor. He caught her eye, lowered his soup bowl and gave her a quizzical look.

"I know you said not to talk to anyone." Rose said leaning in and whispering in his ear. "But, do you think it would be okay to ask her a couple of questions? She seems okay."

"Yes, but seems and is are two different things, Rose." He whispered back. "I told you we can't trust anyone here, not even these people."

"But, you also said if no one trusts anyone else, then nothing gets done."

The Doctor paused.

"Yeah, I did say that. But, all the same we need to be extremely careful, Rose. You saw what happened to Quazak when he got too talkative."

"Yeah, but I'm not gonna yell out the king sucks or anything like that. I just wanted to ask Myra a couple of questions."

"What questions?"

"I just wanted to ask how long she's been down here. She's older than anyone we've seen around here and I was just curious if she's lived here a long time, that's all. I'm not gonna say anything to get us in trouble, Doctor. Besides, you're sitting by me; you can stop me if I say anything risky."

The Doctor considered that for a moment.

"Stick to small talk, is that understood?" he said.

"I will."

"Good, because we have no idea how secure this place is. Spies could be down here watching us, it could be bugged and if we say or do the wrong thing, we're dead. Just keep that in mind, not just with Myra but with everyone here."

Rose nodded. The Doctor went back to sipping his soup as she cleared her throat.

"Um, Myra, I hate to pry and all, but I was just wondering if I could ask you something."

"You're not prying dear," Myra said as she continued to dry the dishes. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, I was just wondering how long you been down here?" Rose said.

Myra paused and thought.

"I think it's been about two years, dear." She said as she resumed drying the dishes. "I'm down here most of the time and you lose track of time very easy down here since there are no windows."

"I can understand that." Rose said sipping her soup.

"What about you, dear? Where are you from?"

Rose paused and glanced at the Doctor. He gave her a pointed look. She suddenly understood why the Doctor had been hesitant for her to talk to these people. Even idle chit chat in this environment could be dangerous. She lowered the bowl and gathered her thoughts before speaking.

"We're…um…from off world." She said slowly measuring her words carefully."We're just passing through really. Just tourists."

She glanced at the Doctor and saw him nod his approval.

"Are you on holiday?" Myra asked as she went back to her dishes.

"Um…not really. We travel for a living." Rose said.

"Really? Where have you traveled, dear?"

Rose glanced at the Doctor.

"Oh, all over, really. We've been to so many places I've lost count." She said dismissively. "So, how about you, you ever done any traveling?"

She glanced at the Doctor and saw him nod.

"Yes, change the subject, good." He mouthed to her.

"I've lived all my life in the city, dear. I've never had much of a head for adventure." Myra replied. "It must be exciting traveling to different places though. How long have you and the Doctor been doing it?"

Rose cursed inwardly. She hoped Myra would stick to talking about herself. She figured though that being underground and seeing the same people day in and day out made her curious about visitors. Still, she wished she had just stuck to sipping her soup. She realized that she was treading in dangerous waters and she could tell by the expression on the Doctor's face that he was thinking the same thing. The questions Myra was asking could be completely innocent questions, but there was always that possibility…

"For awhile." She said trying to keep her answers as vague as possible. "We've been traveling so long it's hard to keep track of time anymore."

"What about you, Doctor?" Myra said smiling at him as she dried her hands with the tea towel. "Have the two of you been traveling together or did one of you meet the other?"

The Doctor stiffened. Rose bit her lip as guilt flooded her mind. Now Myra had dragged the Doctor into this when he was the one who had been against her talking in the first place. She gave him an apologetic look and he smiled and winked at her before he focused his attention on Myra.

""Um, I met Rose a couple of years back and I found she had the same spirit of adventure that I did so I asked her to accompany me." The Doctor said as pleasantly as he could.

Rose munched on a piece of bread while she studied Myra's face. To her, she seemed like a sweet grandmotherly type, but looks could be deceiving. From what she could see, there seemed to be no malice behind her line of questioning. She was probably just bored after being stuck in the kitchen cooking all day for the other residents and wanted to talk to these two strangers she was being asked to feed. But then again…

She looked around her and her eyes darted over to the hole in the wall. She narrowed her eyes when she thought she saw someone quickly duck out of sight.

"So, Doctor, are you and Rose sweethearts?"

Rose turned her head back around and saw the Doctor take a swig of his soup before speaking.

"We are traveling companions, nothing more." The Doctor said before taking another sip of soup.

Rose smiled inwardly knowing that was about as far from the truth as you could get. She glanced at Myra and saw she was giving both her and the Doctor a scrutinizing look and she guessed that the woman had guessed the truth about them. If she had, thought, she didn't say anything. She glanced back around at the hole. Yes, this time she caught someone quickly stepping out of her line of sight. Someone was out there listening in. Her eyes narrowed for a moment and she thought about getting up from her chair and finding out who the person was, but given that she was a stranger here it probably wouldn't be a good idea to start grabbing everyone and interrogating them. She turned her head back around making a firm resolution that she would watch what came out of her mouth from now on.

"So, Doctor, where are you two from originally?" Myra asked.

The Doctor quickly finished the last of his soup and set it down.

"Ah, that was delicious. "he said quickly. "Myra, I'm sorry to cut you short, but I'm tired and I'd really like to go to bed."

He glanced at Rose.

"Yeah, me too." Rose said. "It's been a long day for both of us and sleep sounds good right now."

Myra hesitated and for a moment Rose thought that she was going to persist with her questions. Instead, she smiled and nodded.

"I understand." She said. "I'll show you to your rooms and maybe we can talk again in the morning."

The Doctor nodded politely to her, but when she had turned her back to them briefly he shot Rose another pointed look. He quickly smiled when Myra turned back with a glo-ball.

"Just follow me, dears. I'll show you to your room." She said.

Rose reached out to take the Doctor's hand and was shocked when he pulled it away. She looked up at his face and saw him shake his head.

"Not here." He mouthed to her.

Rose nodded. They waited until Myra passed by them and the Doctor followed before following him. As she stepped through the hole, she quickly glanced around, but whoever had been listening at the hole had left. Shaking her head, she hoped that the night would pass by quickly so she and the Doctor could get the supplies for Safira in the morning, tend to her and then finally leave Zaphradia once and for all.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Here you go, you can spend the night in here."

Myra stepped through a hole and the Doctor and Rose followed her. They looked around and noticed that the room was completely bare except for two cots and a makeshift bedside table. Myra sat the glo-ball on the table and turned to them.

"If you need anything, my room's two holes down." She said pointing off to the right.

"Thank you," the Doctor replied. "But, I think Rose and I will be just fine. We just want to get some sleep and head out in the morning."

Myra nodded.

"Good night then." She said.

"Good night." The Doctor and Rose replied in unison.

Myra stepped through the hole. The Doctor waited until she was out of sight before pointing to the cot beside the hole.

"Sleep here." He said. "I probably won't sleep tonight so I want to be where I can see what's going on outside."

Rose let out a disappointed moan.

"Darn, I wanted to sleep with you." She said.

"Not tonight. I don't want them figuring out that we're together. They might use it against us." The Doctor whispered. "It's only for one night and then we'll leave tomorrow."

"What if they won't let us?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"They better if they know what's good for them." He said.

He sighed.

"Anyway, if they are planning to keep us here, we'll deal with that in the morning. For now, I want you to get some sleep. If the storm is as bad as they claim, it'll take a lot of effort to make it to the TARDIS and back."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Rose muttered. "It was bad enough trying to walk through it earlier today."

She leaned up for a kiss and then hesitated. The Doctor quickly glanced out the hole and seeing no one was around gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Good night, Rose." He whispered in her ear.

"Good night, Doctor." She whispered back.

She laid down in the cot nearest the hole, wrapping her arms around her body in an effort to keep warm. The Doctor noticed her shivering and took off his trench coat. He draped it around her body, glanced at the hole and gave her another quick kiss before he walked over to the other cot and lay down on his side. He smiled at Rose as she turned on her side and stared at him. She continued to look at him until her eyelids grew heavy and she finally succumbed to sleep. The Doctor continued to stare at her thinking how beautiful she looked while she slept. His eyes darted over to the hole occasionally when he noticed someone walk by. He would narrow his eyes when the person would stop and look into the hole, then noticing the Doctor was awake and looking at him, he would quickly walk on. The Doctor lifted his head, put his arm underneath it and lay his head back down.

He let out a soft sigh and relaxed his body while he continued to watch the hole silently.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Rose?"

Rose murmured in her sleep.

"Rose, wake up. It's time to get going."

"Five more minutes." Rose mumbled in her sleep.

"No, get up. I already spent enough time in this place without adding five more minutes on top of it. Now open your eyes and get up."

Rose sighed and blinked her eyes. She looked up at the Doctor who was smiling at her.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." He said fondly. "Ready for a brisk early morning walk through piles of snow?"

"No."

"Well, tough, you better get ready because the quicker we can get there and back; the quicker we can tend to Safira and leave!"

Rose groaned as she sat up. After a night on the cot, her back ached. Slowly she rose to her feet and swayed a bit while she tried to get her bearings.

"You must have really slept." The Doctor observed.

"Yeah, I was dead tired last night." Rose said stretching out the muscles in her aching back.

She handed the Doctor's trench coat back to him.

"Thanks for letting me use that." She said.

"No problem. You needed it more than I did." He said putting it on. "Now, let's get going before anybody thinks of stopping us."

They left the room and quietly crept down the corridor trying not to wake anyone up. As they passed by Myra's room, they slowed down even more and held their breath.

"Good morning!"

The Doctor groaned when he heard Quazak's voice coming from the hole across from Myra's. He plastered a smile onto his face as he stepped into the corridor.

"Did you sleep well last night?" Quazak asked.

"Yes, we did and now if you don't mind, Rose and I want to get back to the TARDIS. We need to get the supplies for Safira."

"Don't you want to eat breakfast first?"

The Doctor and Rose turned and saw Myra standing at her hole.

"No, thank you, we really would just like to get going if you don't mind." The Doctor said as politely as he could.

"But it'll only take a second, dears." Myra said. "I could whip up some nice mashed shrock for both of you."

"No, thank you, we're fine." The Doctor said emphatically.

"But, if it's a two mile walk," Quazak said. "Shouldn't you get something to eat---"

"Look," the Doctor said at the end of his patience. "We appreciate the offer, we appreciate everything you've done for us, but Rose and I want to get going. We don't want to stay here, alright? I will get Safira stabilized because I promised her I would and I'm a man of my word, but that's it! When that is done, you and everyone else will permit Rose and I to leave without any fuss."

"But, we need your help." Quazak said.

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh as he mentally counted to ten.

"We can't." he said after calming himself down.

"Why?"

"Because!"

Everyone jumped when Rose yelled. She shot an apologetic look at the Doctor.

"I'm…sorry." She said.

"Nothing to be sorry for, as far as I'm concerned." The Doctor said shrugging. "We keep telling you lot we are only interested in staying the night and you keep on badgering us. Rose and I are tired of telling you no."

He leaned forward and looked into Quazak's eyes.

"Now, let us by before we get even angrier." He said.

Quazak stepped back. The Doctor straightened back up.

"Thank you." He said

He looked over at Rose.

"Shall we?" he said to her.

They started down the corridor.

"You do realize that it's still snowing out there." Quazak said. "I just checked the weather this morning and there's a blizzard outside."

The Doctor and Rose stopped. The Doctor looked at him.

"We'll manage." He said.

"But…"

"We're going!" the Doctor said emphatically.

"Wait, just listen to me alright?" Quazak said angrily. "Because I believe I know my home world better than you do. The snowstorms are terrible here and it'll be rough enough for you to make the journey alone let alone try it with Rose. If you are coming back, why don't you let her stay here in the meantime where it's nice and warm?"

"Because I need her help to carry supplies." The Doctor replied.

"I can give you a sack so you can carry what you need."

"I'd rather have Rose."

"Why? Why subject her to this snowstorm when it's not necessary?"

The Doctor paused unsure of what to say. He didn't want to let them know of his suspicions and his real reason for keeping Rose beside him.

"Doctor, listen to reason. I'm not even sure if you'll be able to make the journey on your own. There's almost zero visibility out there now." Quazak said walking up to them. "You really want to try to keep track of Rose while you try to make your way there and back?"

Rose looked up at the Doctor and saw he was thinking that over. He glanced at her and looked back at Quazak.

"Could you give us a moment in private?" he asked him.

Quazak nodded. The Doctor took Rose by the wrist and led her further down the corridor while he went back to his room and stood by the hole. When the Doctor was satisfied that they were out of earshot, he turned and leaned down into her face.

"I want your opinion here." He said.

"On…"

"On whether or not you should stay behind while I go back to the TARDIS."

Rose frowned.

"I…thought you wanted us to stay together."

The Doctor sighed.

"I do, but Quazak is right. The snowstorms are terrible here and if it is that bad, I don't want to risk your safety. It'll be treacherous enough for me. But, it's your call, Rose. You're an adult and you can choose whether or not to make the trek with me. So, what do you think?"

"I…I…don't know." She said. "I'd rather stay with you. I don't feel safe being alone with these people."

"I know. I feel the same way. But, at the same time, I might not be able to get back to the TARDIS at all if it's as bad as all that."

"Well, how about if we go outside first and check it ourselves. I mean, they could just be telling us this to keep us here, you know."

The Doctor nodded.

"I was thinking the same thing. I want to see this storm with my own two eyes before I decide whether or not to take you along. But, I am going to attempt to reach the TARDIS if I can. I'm not staying here one more minute than is necessary."

Rose nodded.

"So, you wanna try it?"

Rose nodded.

"I'm not afraid, Doctor. I know you won't let anything happen to me." She said confidently.

The Doctor's eyes twinkled and he smiled at her.

"No, I won't." he said. "I won't lose track of you even if I have to tie you to my body."

Rose giggled at the image of the Doctor trying to climb over enormous snowdrifts with her tied to the front of his body. He smiled at her laughter and leaned in to kiss her. He caught himself at the last moment and quickly leaned back up. He beckoned to Quazak.

"Rose and I want to see the storm for ourselves." The Doctor said as he walked up. "Then, we'll decide whether or not she will go with me."

Sure." Quazak said shrugging. "Just let me get my cloak on."

They watched as he walked back to his hole, whispered something to Myra and went inside his room. He emerged a few moments later tying a forest green cloak around his body.

"Follow me." He said to the Doctor and Rose as he walked up to them.

They nodded and followed Quazak along the corridor while Myra went to prepare breakfast for everyone.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Quazak lifted the lid of the skip and looked around. Satisfied that no one was around, he looked back at the Doctor and Rose who were hunched down at his feet.

"All clear." He said. "Take a look for yourself."

The Doctor and Rose stood up. Rose gasped as snow pelted her face and she instantly ducked behind the Doctor's back. The Doctor blinked as the snow hit his eyes.

"Told you it was bad!" Quazak yelled over the howling wind.

The Doctor ignored him as he scrambled up and over the top of the skip. He gasped as his feet hit the ground and he nearly slid on the slippery ground. He reached up to help Rose as she went over the top.

"Doctor, it's not safe to go. Can't you see that?" Quazak yelled at them. "You'll never make it back. Not in this weather!"

The Doctor continued to ignore him. Determined to reach the TARDIS, he grabbed Rose's hand and they fought against the blowing winds as they slowly walked out of the alley. Quazak threw up his hands.

"DOCTOR, IT'S USELESS!" he screamed at them. "YOU WANNA FREEZE TO DEATH? GET BACK HERE!"

"Doctor, maybe we should listen to him!" Rose yelled as snow pelted her face.

"NO! I'M NOT GONNA STAY HERE ANY LONGER THAN I HAVE TO!" he screamed back. "WE CAN MAKE IT, ROSE! WE CAN DO IT!"

They stumbled out into the street and fought the winds trying to walk out of the city. Rose's eyes were half closed and she felt chilled to the bone as her hair whipped all around her face. She glanced up at the Doctor and noticed he wasn't faring much better but there was that look of steely eyed determination that she knew so well. She knew come Hell or high water, he would make it to the TARDIS today.

She gasped as her foot hit an icy patch and she slid. The Doctor grabbed her arm trying to keep her upright, but he only succeeded in falling with her as she fell hard onto the pavement.

"Rose! Are you alright?" He said helping her sit up.

Rose groaned. She had fallen hard on her left side.

"I'm…okay." She managed.

The Doctor stared at her as the snow swirled around them. He looked over his shoulder and saw near zero visibility beyond the city. He looked back at Rose and cursed to himself.

"Rose!" he yelled. "This isn't gonna work. You're gonna have to go back and wait for me!"

"But, Doctor, the snow. You'll never make it!" Rose protested.

"Yes, I will. I've been through a lot worse than this!" the Doctor said confidently. "Besides, my body is able to deal with frigid temperatures better than yours. You won't survive a two mile walk in this weather! I'm afraid Quazak is right. It'll take all I have to make it there on my own without keeping track of you in the process. I have to leave you behind!"

Rose swallowed hard.

"But…you said not to separate!" she yelled back.

The Doctor lowered his head knowing that he was possibly putting Rose in danger by leaving her alone with these people, but he had no choice. He had to try.

"There's no other option, Rose." He yelled. "I have to leave you for the moment."

Rose gripped his arm.

"Don't go, Doctor!" she pleaded. "Wait until the storm passes and go then!"

The Doctor shook his head.

"That could take days! I can't wait that long."

He saw the fear in her eyes and pulled her close.

"I'll be alright. I know what I'm doing, trust me!" he said in her ear.

Rose looked into his eyes. She didn't want him to go. What if he got lost in the blinding snow and froze to death before he could reach the TARDIS or get back? But, she knew from the determined look in his eyes that there would be no swaying him and so, swallowing the fear that was rising in her, she nodded. She glanced back at the alley and when she saw that Quazak wasn't watching them, she threw her arms around the Doctor and hugged him tight. The Doctor returned the hug.

"I'll be alright, Rose. I promise." He said in her ear.

He kissed her frigid cheek and pulled her tight to him.

"I want you to be careful while I'm gone." He said in her ear. "Keep your eyes and ears open and don't say anything that might give us away to someone. Be on your guard, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Doctor!" Rose yelled back.

He gave her one more hug before he helped her to stand. Putting his arm tight around her, he helped her back to the skip.

"I told you it wasn't going to be possible to travel today!" Quazak said as Rose grabbed the rim of the skip.

He helped the Doctor get Rose over the top of the skip.

"Okay, now you!" he yelled to the Doctor.

"No!"

Quazak looked at him.

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean I'm going on by myself. It's too dangerous for Rose, but I can make it!" The Doctor yelled back.

"Are you insane, Doctor? Didn't you see how bad it was out there?"

"Yes, and that's why Rose is staying here!"

"Doctor…it's ludicrous to go out in this weather! You'll freeze to death or get lost! Safira can wait, trust me!"

"No, she can't, Quazak! I've seen her wounds! They'll become infected if I don't do something! I need to go now before she gets worse!"

"Is that it or are you just anxious to be on your way?" Quazak spat out.

The Doctor glared at him.

"Well, now that you brought it up, that too. But, Safira is my first priority. Now get Rose inside before she gets sick! I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Quazak shook his head. Muttering something under his breath, he bent down and opened the door back up. Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand.

"I'll be back soon, Rose. Don't worry." He said to her.

Rose glanced down at Quazak.

"I love you." She mouthed to the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled.

"I love you too." He mouthed back.

He gave her hand a little squeeze and gave her a loving smile and then Rose watched as he pushed away from the skip and slowly made his way back down the alleyway.

Quazak stood up and watched as he trudged through the raging blizzard.

"Your friend is a lunatic!" he said to Rose. "You know that?"

"Yup, he is." Rose said. "But he knows what he's doing. I've seen it before! The Doctor will be alright!"

"Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?"

Rose didn't answer that. She ducked down into the skip and without another word went through the hole into the tunnel. Quazak watched her for a moment and then turned his head back to the Doctor who was now barely visible through the swirling snow. Shaking his head, he grabbed the lid and shut it over him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Zargon looked away from the window when he heard someone knock on his door. He had been watching the fierce snowstorm swirling around his palace.

"Enter." He said loudly.

The Door opened and his vizier entered.

"Sire, our spies embedded with the resistance have just sent a report." Sarfak said.

Zargon turned from the window.

"Yes, what is it?" he said.

"Sire, the one that calls himself the Doctor has just left to go back to his ship."

Zargon glared at him.

"I thought I made it clear that he and the female were not to be allowed access to their ship." He said.

"Yes, Sire, but our spy said that they had to let him go back because he was becoming suspicious."

"So, he is allowed to leave the planet?"

"No, Sire, He is going back to get medical supplies for the injured woman. He will return after he has finished gathering what he needs."

"And how do you know this?"

Sarfak smiled.

"He has left the female behind, Sire."

Zargon raised his eyebrow.

"Really? Perhaps that can be used to our advantage then." He said.

"In what way, Sire?"

"Zargon smiled.

"Relay a message back to our spies. Tell them to concentrate on the female while the Doctor is out. Get her to talk and tell them who they are and if they are working for anyone. I want to know exactly who these two are and what their intentions are."

"And if she won't talk, Sire?"

"Then I believe it will be time for the inquisition to step in and handle matters. If these two will not talk willingly, then perhaps they will talk with a little "persuasion." After that, we will have all the evidence we need and then they both will die."

He waved the vizier away as he turned back to the window.

"Now go and carry out my wishes." He said.

Sarfak bowed. He backed out the door and closed it behind him as Zargon put his hands behind his back and stared out the window.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The Doctor gritted his teeth and pushed forward through the snow. The snow stung against his face and his body was beginning to feel the effects of the cold after walking almost two miles through the snowstorm.

_Where is it?_ He thought to himself as he stumbled through the snowdrifts.

He gasped as he took a step and sank in a snowdrift up to his thigh. Cursing, he pulled his leg out and pushed on, straining his eyes for a glimpse of the familiar blue box. The snow obscured his vision making it difficult for him to see anything and for a moment the Doctor wondered if he had gotten off track and gotten lost. Then, when he was just about to turn back, he saw it. The comforting sight of his TARDIS standing like a blue beacon through the blinding blizzard. He laughed to himself in triumph as he found the strength to make it the rest of the way to his ship. Five minutes later, he reached the door and sighed as he leaned against it.

"I'm back, girl." He said.

He smiled when he felt the TARDIS vibrate against his cheek. Leaning against her, he reached into his jacket pocket and found the key. He unlocked the door and with a grunt, managed to push it open and stumble inside. Sighing, he grabbed the railing and caught his breath as the TARDIS let out a concerned burble.

"Rose isn't with me." He said to her when he got his breath back. "She's back in the city."

The TARDIS burbled quizzically.

""I had to leave her behind. It was bad enough coming here by myself. I couldn't risk her life."

The TARDIS let out another burble.

"We're not leaving yet, girl. There's someone that needs our help. I'm here to get some medical supplies and once I've helped her, then I'll bring Rose back and we'll leave."

Getting his strength back, he let go of the railing and headed towards the back of the console room. The TARDIS let out another burble when she saw how weak her friend was. The Doctor shook his head.

"I can't risk it." He said to her. "If I move you closer to the city, someone might be able to get a hold of you. As tempted as I am, I have to leave you here."

He smiled when the TARDIS cooed.

"I'll be alright, girl. I promise. I just need to get my second wind back, that's all. It takes more than a snowstorm to stop little ol' me."

He walked into the med bay and looked around.

"Now, let's see, what do I need?" he mused.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose let Myra lead her into the kitchen.

"Just have a rest, honey. You're frozen solid." She said smiling at her. "Let me get you something warm to drink."

Rose sat down in one of the chairs as Quazak stepped through the hole with another man.

"I can't believe the Doctor would be so foolish." He said as he and the man sat down beside her. "It's almost like your friend has a death wish or something."

Rose smiled a ruthful smile at that.

Myra looked at him and the other man.

"Something to drink, loves?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll have a glass of Porpilia juice." He said.

Myra nodded. She looked at the other man.

"And you, Labo?"

"Same." Labo replied.

She looked at Rose.

"Would you like some Porpilia juice, dear?"

Rose frowned.

"Um, what is it?" she asked.

"It's made from Porpilia berries." Myra replied.

"Yeah, that tells me a whole Hell of a lot." Rose muttered under her breath.

"What, dear?"

"Nothing, just thinking aloud." Rose said quickly. "I was just wondering if you have anything non-alcoholic."

Myra looked at Quazak and Labo.

"Porpilia juice is non-alcoholic." She said to her.

"Oh! Well, yeah, I'll have some of that then." Rose said.

Quazak frowned.

"Why are you so concerned about it being non-alcoholic?" he asked.

"I just…don't like the taste of alcohol, is all." She said.

Quazak and Labo stared at her.

"Wow, never heard that before." Quazak said.

"What?" Rose asked.

"You're the first person I've ever met who didn't like alcohol." He said.

Rose shrugged.

"I just never liked it. Besides, I can't hold my liquor very well."

She gave Quazak a pointed look.

"I'm sure you'd understand that." She said.

Quazak coughed and turned away as Labo chuckled to himself.

"Here you go, loves." Myra said setting three bowls of Porpilia juice in front of them.

Rose picked up the bowl and stared at the contents. The juice was a bright red and she could tell it was hot by the steam rising from it. She glanced over at Quazak and Labo and saw that they were watching her as they sipped their juice.

"It's Porpilia juice." Quazak swallowing the liquid in his mouth. "What? You've never drank it before?"

"Well, to be honest, no." Rose replied.

"Well, I can tell you right now there's not a drop of alcohol in it so you don't have to worry about getting pissed out of your mind!" Quazak said as Labo snickered.

Rose glared at them as they laughed and nudged each other. She put the bowl to her lips and took an experimental sip as the two men watched with amusement.

"Well…" Quazak said. "Is it to your liking?"

"It's pretty good. Tastes like grapes." Rose replied.

Quazak frowned. He turned to Labo.

"What the Hell are grapes?" he asked him as Labo shrugged.

He turned back to Rose.

"Well, is it tasting like grapes a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked.

"A good thing."

"Oh, good, well drink up then." Quazak said.

Rose took another sip. She paused and savored the warm juice going down her throat and warming her body. She hated that the Doctor was out in weather like this. She wished he would have waited, but she understood his wanting to get away from this place as soon as they could. She sipped her juice as she silently prayed for his safety.

Labo finished his drink and sat it on the table.

"That was good. I gotta go though. Zak wants me to do guard duty tonight. I need to rest up."

"See ya later then." Quazak said.

"Oh, um, Labo." Rose said.

Labo paused and looked at her.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Um, if you're on watch and the Doctor comes back, could you let me know?" she asked.

"Sure…um, he's the tall, skinny bloke in the suit, right?"

"That's the one." Quazak said.

"Gotcha. Yeah, if I'm on duty, I'll let you know when he returns."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Rose said.

Labo nodded.

"See ya Myra." He said handing her his bowl.

"See ya, love. Take care of yourself." Myra replied.

He patted Quazak on the back and left the room. Myra put the bowl in the sink and went back to her cooking. Rose and Quazak sipped their drinks in silence. Rose finished hers and sat the bowl on the table.

"Very good." She said.

Quazak glanced at her.

"You want more?" he asked.

Rose thought for a moment.

"Yeah, I do actually." She said.

"Myra, she wants seconds." Quazak said.

Myra smiled and walked over to the table. Grabbing Rose's bowl, she ladled some more juice into it, paused a moment and then brought it over to her. Rose smiled her thanks and took a sip. The juice warmed her completely and she felt herself starting to relax.

"So, your friend. He always pulls crazy stunts like that?" Quazak asked.

Rose smiled.

"Yeah, he's pretty good at that kind of thing." She said.

"Better him than me. I wouldn't dare walk two miles out of town in a blizzard like this." Quazak said taking a sip. "Someone who's doing that is just asking for trouble, in my opinion."

"Well, the Doctor specializes in trouble." Rose said taking a sip.

Quazak looked at her.

"Really?" he said amused. "What does he do exactly?"

"He travels around." Rose replied.

"And you travel with him?"

"Yup."

"Neat, where have you gone?"

"Oh, all over." Rose said. "We've been to so many different times and places, sometimes it's hard to keep up with it all."

"Times?" Quazak said.

"Yeah, we travel in time and space."

She paused realizing what she had just blurted out. She glanced at Quazak and noticed he was calmly sipping his drink. She shrugged. It was just one little slip of the tongue. She wouldn't let it happen again. She took a sip of her drink. As she continued to drink, she felt her mind become fuzzy and numb. Her eyes became glazed as she slowly put the bowl back down on the table.

"So, your friend, he been traveling for a long time then?"

"Yeah, he's been doing it for centuries." Rose said in a dull voice.

"Centuries? How can that be? He looks like he's in his late 30's at most." Quazak said. "What do you mean by centuries?"

"He's lived for centuries. He's around 900 years old now."

Quazak glanced at Myra who had now turned around to listen.

"So, he's not human then?" Quazak said.

"No, he's a Time Lord."

Quazak and Myra shared a look.

"A Time Lord?" Quazak said. "I thought they were all extinct."

"He's the last."

"I see."

Quazak smirked when he noticed the dull look in Rose's eyes.

_Good old Myra and her truth serum. Does the trick every time._ He thought to himself. _Rose will tell us everything we need to know and when she snaps out of it, she won't remember a thing._

"So, Rose," Quazak said casually. "This ship the Doctor went back to…it's a…TARDIS then?"

"Yes."

"I see, and why did the two of you come here in the TARDIS?"

"It was a game."

Quazak looked at Myra.

"A game? What do you mean a game?"

"The Doctor and I pick out random coordinates for fun and visit whatever planet comes up." Rose replied.

Quazak looked at Myra.

"Odd pastime." He said as Myra nodded.

He cleared his throat.

"So…you and the Doctor came here because our planet's coordinates came up when you were playing this...game?"

"Yes."

Quazak glanced at Myra.

"Excuse me a moment, Rose." He said getting up.

Rose sat quietly in her seat while Quazak walked around the table to Myra.

"They didn't come here on purpose?" Myra whispered to Quazak. "So, their agreeing to spend the night with us really was about finding shelter after all."

"Yes, but, I know this Doctor. Now that she's told us he's a Time Lord, I've heard of him. He's famous. He's not like the other Time Lords who went and observed history. He actually does get involved and meddles in events when he feels like an injustice has been done. He's legendary! If he gets involved with the resistance----"

"Yes, but that's the thing, Quazak, they've been trying to leave since they got here. The Doctor has been insistent about not staying here. Every time you tried to lead him on and get him to say he's here to fight, he denies it. Maybe they really did just come here on a whim and have no interest in the resistance."

"Yes, but they've seen too much now. If the Doctor does decide to get involved, it could rally even more people to fight against the emperor. He's not anonymous, Myra. He's known throughout the universe and revered by countless races. If people get wind he's here and if they think he's with the resistance, there could be full-scale riots and anarchy. We can't let that happen. Innocent or not, the Doctor has to die before he can act."

"What about the girl?" Myra asked glancing at Rose.

Quazak shook his head.

"I don't know, that's for the emperor to decide. But, we have to move quickly. If the Doctor figures out we're with the government, he'll do everything in his power to stop us."

"So, we act first?" Myra asked.

Quazak nodded.

"I'll inform the vizier what we've learned and have spies ready to apprehend him. He probably won't put up much of a fight since he'll be tired out from walking through the blizzard. In the meantime, we'll keep Rose in the dark about what we've learned. She won't remember anything when the serum wears off, so all we have to do is keep on with our little charade until the Doctor is taken into custody."

Quazak turned to leave. He paused and looked at Myra with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, and we might as well let him attend to Safira before we capture him. He's gone though a raging snowstorm to get supplies for her; it would be a right shame not to let him use them."

He patted Rose on the shoulder and with a snicker went out the door.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Doctor gasped as he stumbled out of the final snowdrift into the city limits.

"Geez!" he said as he slumped against a building. "I bet I just lost forty pounds walking through all that."

He looked down at the black leather bag containing the supplies for Safira and smiled.

"Ha! See, I told everyone I could do it!" he said to himself. "Granted I about froze my arse off getting there and back, but by Rassilon, I did it."

He leaned back up and made his way through the blowing wind to the alleyway. He smiled when he turned into it and saw the skip. Walking up to it, he opened the lid, got in and hunkered down. He banged hard on the metal piece in front of the door and smiled when it slid back and a blond haired man eyed him warily.

"Good afternoon," The Doctor said cheerfully. "I'm going from skip to skip selling cosmetics to pay for my schooling. Can I interest you in some mascara or perhaps a nice blush? It would go great with your skin tone."

The man stared at him.

"No? Well, how about if I give you a complete makeover and then you can see how good the products look on you before you buy."

"Um…are you the Doctor?" the man said hesitantly.

"Spot on!" the Doctor replied. "You get a biscuit for your excellent ability to determine who I am. That's the hallmark of a good guard. Figuring out who people are! Now that you've ascertained my identity, please let me in. I am chilled to the bone and reeking of rubbish and I would like to remedy both things as quickly as I can."

"Rose told me to look out for you." He said.

The Doctor smiled.

"Well, I kinda figured she would ask someone to do that. I know how worried she was about me." He said. "Thank you so much for doing that for her…"

"Labo."

"Labo. Thanks so much for keeping an eye out for me, Labo. I appreciate it and I know Rose does too. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to treat an injured woman and get reprimanded by Rose for being out in this weather and risking my life. Busy little bee, that's me. So, if you would be so kind…"

"Oh yes," Labo said scooting back.

"Thanks." The Doctor said crawling through the hole.

He took the glo-ball from Labo.

"Don't worry about me, I know the way." He said.

"Do you want me to come with you? Rose wanted me to tell her when you came back."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm going to see her right now. Thanks."

Labo nodded. He waited until the Doctor was away from the hole before he crawled out and shut the lid.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Quazak and Myra looked up as the Doctor peeked into the kitchen.

"Oh, you're back." Quazak said.

"You sound surprised." The Doctor said.

Quazak shrugged.

"Most people wouldn't be able to survive two miles in a blizzard." He said.

"Well, I'm not like most people." The Doctor replied.

Quazak and Myra glanced at each other.

"Well, I can admit when I'm wrong then, Doctor. I'm sorry I doubted you." Quazak said.

The Doctor shrugged.

"Nothing to be sorry about. You were right about the storm's intensity. It took all I had to get there and back, but I did it. And now," he said holding up the black leather bag. "I can treat Safira properly."

"Good, I'm glad, Doctor." Quazak said. "Thanks so much for doing that."

"No trouble at all." The Doctor replied.

He looked around the kitchen.

"Where's Rose at? I gathered from Labo at the door that she's been worried about me."

Quazak and Myra shared another look.

"She's asleep, Doctor." Myra said. "The poor thing was exhausted so I gave her something to drink and let her lie down. She's in your room right now."

"Ah, good, well I'll check on her and then I'll go and tend to Safira."

He gave them a pointed look.

"And then…Rose and I will be on our way." He said.

Quazak and Myra glanced at each other.

"Of course, Doctor. I'll be sorry to see you go, but if you don't want to stay here, that's your decision."

Quazak averted his eyes when he noticed the Doctor giving him a suspicious look.

"Yes." The Doctor said. "Good, I'm glad you've decided not to make a fuss about our leaving."

Quazak shrugged.

"Your leaving will be a loss, but I'd rather have you cooperating with the resistance of your own free will. If you don't want to, there's nothing anyone can do to keep you and Rose here."

"Good, I'm glad you think that way. Now if you'll excuse me. I want to get busy."

"Of course, Doctor. Go right ahead." Quazak said.

The Doctor nodded. He turned and headed down the corridor as Quazak and Myra looked at each other.

"Alert the spies he's back." Quazak whispered to Myra. "Have them ready to come down here and arrest the Doctor and Rose at my signal."

"What about Labo?" Myra asked.

"I'll take care of him, just get everyone into place. If the Doctor wants to leave here that badly, then we'll be more than happy to oblige him!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Rose?"

The Doctor stepped through the hole into the guest room and walked over to Rose who was lying in the cot the Doctor had been using. He bent down and pushed her hair away from her face.

"Rose, I'm back." He whispered.

Rose groaned and slowly opened her eyes.

"Doctor?" she muttered.

"Yup, I'm back and in one piece so you can stop worrying." The Doctor said smiling.

The smile fell off his face when he noticed how drowsy Rose was.

"Wow, you must have really been tired." He said.

"Yeah, I think being out in the snowstorm took a lot out of me." Rose moaned as she slowly sat up on the side of the cot. "I went into the kitchen and drank some Porpilia juice and then I guess I must have nodded off because I don't remember coming back in here. Cor blimey, I must have been exhausted."

"I'll say. How are you feeling now?"

"Better, much better." Rose said as the Doctor gave her a relieved grin. "Did…you get the supplies?"

"Yup, got everything I need. Would you like to come help me or do you need to lie down again?"

"No, I'm fine. I'll help. I wanna get out of here just as badly as you do."

She got to her feet. The Doctor gasped when she wobbled a bit, but she quickly got her bearings.

"I'm fine." Rose said.

"Are you sure?" The Doctor asked suspicion darkening his features. "You didn't seem this exhausted when I got you back inside."

"I know, but I guess it was just sitting down and drinking that Porpilia juice. The warmth of it made me sleepy and I just had to take a nap."

The Doctor nodded.

"Just as long as you're okay…" he said.

"I am. I'll be alright. I just need a couple of minutes to wake up, is all."

The Doctor smiled. He hazarded a glance out the door and when he saw all was clear, he gave Rose a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're safe, Doctor." Rose said.

"Yeah, me too. The TARDIS was glad to see me too. I think she's just as anxious as we are to leave." He said. "So, let's not keep the old girl waiting, eh?"

"Yup, let's get moving." Rose said.

The Doctor smiled. Rose was back to normal, all traces of sleepiness gone.

_I just hope she's strong enough to make the trip back to the TARDIS after we're done._ He thought. _If being out in the storm for five minutes made her this tired, I'd hate to think what she'll be like after two miles._

They stepped through the hole and walked towards Safira's room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Labo!"

Labo turned his head around when he heard Quazak's voice coming up through the hole at the end of the tunnel.

"Yeah?" he called out.

"Come here a moment, I need to talk to you."

Labo looked at the entrance hole beside him and looked back at the hole at the end of the tunnel.

"Can it wait? I'm on guard duty." He said.

"It's an emergency. We might have had a breech in our defenses!"

Labo's eyes widened.

"Dammit!" he muttered as he grabbed the glo-ball.

He crawled down the tunnel. Reaching the hole, he sat the glo-ball beside it, maneuvered around until he was sitting with his legs dangling in the hole and slid through. His feet hit the floor and he looked at Quazak who was standing beside him.

"Where's the breech?" Labo asked.

Quazak smirked.

"Right here!"

Before Labo could react, Quazak grabbed his head and snapped his neck. Labo fell to the floor dead as Quazak stared at him, unconcerned.

"Gee, Labo, you look awfully tired. I'll relieve you of Guard duty now. You go and have a rest in the meantime."

Snickering, he pulled Labo off into the darkness. Satisfied that his body was hidden, he walked back to the hole, jumped up, grabbed the edge and pulled himself up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Safira?"

Safira slowly turned her head and gave the Doctor a weak smile as he and Rose came to her side.

"You came back." She said.

The Doctor gave her a mock look of horror.

"You say that like you doubted me." He said putting his hand to his chest.

He smiled when Safira laughed softly and bent down next to her.

"How are you doing?" He asked as Rose crouched down beside him.

"Better, I think. I'm not hurting as much." She said weakly.

"Good. When I get through here, you won't be hurting at all." The Doctor said.

He reached into the leather bag beside him and brought out a glass tube. He carefully uncovered Safira and put the blanket down by her feet. He pushed a button on the bottom of the tube and the whole thing was illuminated with a bright, white light.

"What's that, Doctor?" Rose asked as he slowly ran it over Safira's body.

"It's a device that uses concentrated light energy to stimulate cell growth." The Doctor said. "The cells in Safira's body will speed up and repair her wounds much quicker now."

She glanced over and smiled when he noticed Safira was watching the light with fascination.

"It's so pretty." Safira said quietly.

"That it is. And it'll help you get better too." He said.

Rose watched the Doctor as he slowly ran the light over Safira's body. The illumination it was giving off bathed the Doctor's face giving him an angelic appearance. She glanced over at Safira and wondered from the way she was staring at him if she was thinking the same thing.

After finishing with the front of Safira's body, Rose helped the Doctor turn her onto her side and he continued with his light therapy on her back. After he finished with that, he turned off the light and put the tube back into his bag.

"How you feeling now, Safira?" he asked her.

"Better."

"Good. Now Rose and I are going to roll you onto your back and help you sit up a little. I have some medicine for you to take."

He reached back into his bag and brought out a vial containing a sea-green colored liquid.

"Go around me and help her sit up a little so she can take this." He said to Rose.

"Yes, Doctor."

Rose went around him, She put her hands under Safira's shoulders and gently helped her lean up. The Doctor uncorked the vial and put it to Safira's lips.

"That's it, drink up." He said as the liquid went into her mouth.

Safira swallowed and Rose laid her head back down on her pillow.

"What is it?" Safira asked the Doctor.

"Ah, it's designed to boost your immune system so you can fight off any infection that you might have gotten." He said. "It'll also help protect you from any further disease or infection."

"Thank you, Doctor." Safira said softly. "For everything."

The Doctor smiled tenderly at her.

"You're welcome. I'm not done yet, though. I have one more thing I want to do."

He reached into his bag and brought out a small jar filled with a grey gel-like substance. He unscrewed the lid and dipped his fingers into it.

"This will seal the wounds." He said to Rose as he lightly spread it over the whip marks. "It's far more effective than bandages and it's biodegradable. It'll stay on the wounds for about a week and then it'll wear off. By that time, Safira should be completely healed."

He held the jar out in front of her.

"Wanna help?" he asked her.

Rose nodded. She dipped her fingers in the gel and moved down to Safira's legs. Working together, they managed to cover all her wounds, front and back, in about twenty minutes. When they were done, the Doctor screwed the lid back on the jar and covered Safira back up.

"All finished." He said.

"Thank you, Doctor." Safira said as tears came to her eyes. "You…don't know how much this means to me. Especially since you didn't have to come back for me."

"Of course I had to come back for you. A beautiful, young lady like yourself shouldn't be lying on a cot dying in pain. Not when you have so much to contribute to the world."

He reached back into his bag and bought up another jar filled with the medicine. He sat it on the table beside Safira.

"This is more of the medicine." He said to her. Tell whoever is looking after you to give you a little of it each day until it's gone. That way you'll be sure to have the strength you need to fight off illness and get well."

"You…you're leaving?"

The Doctor sighed and nodded.

"I have to, Safira, I'm sorry." He said. "Rose and I don't belong here."

"How can I ever repay you for this?"

"You can repay me this way." He said laying a hand on her head. "Get well and grow up to be a wonderful, strong, intelligent woman. That'll be all the payment I could ever want, okay?"

"Okay, Doctor."

Rose and the Doctor smiled at her. He gave Safira's hand a squeeze, grabbed the bag and stood up.

"Goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye, Rose." Safira said.

"Goodbye, Safira." The Doctor said.

"Goodbye, Safira, take care." Rose added.

Safira closed her eyes. They lingered for a moment until she fell asleep and then they quietly left the room.

The Doctor gasped as he stepped through the hole and ran straight into Quazak.

"Blimey, someone needs to put bells on you lot!" he said.

Quazak stared at him for a moment and then shrugged.

"Are you leaving now?" he asked him.

The Doctor glanced back at Rose who was standing behind him.

"Yes, we are leaving now." The Doctor said emphatically.

He braced himself for an argument. Instead, to his surprise, Quazak nodded.

"Well, I'll be sad to see you go then." He said. "Do you mind if I accompany you back to the skip so I can see you off?"

The Doctor eyed him wondering if this was another attempt to convince him and Rose to stay.

"I don't mind." The Doctor said.

His eyebrow rose when he saw Quazak smirk at Rose for a moment and then smile at him.

"Well, then, let's be off before the blizzard gets even worse." He said.

The Doctor nodded. He and Rose followed Quazak as they walked down the corridor.

"I left some medicine with Safira." The Doctor said to him. "It's for fighting off infection, make sure she gets a little of it every day until it's gone."

"Don't worry, Doctor. Safira will be taken care of, I assure you." Quazak said.

The Doctor frowned when he thought he saw another smirk cross Quazak's face for a moment. He looked ahead and saw Myra standing by the kitchen.

"Bye, loves," she said cheerfully. "Have a good trip."

"Thanks, Myra." The Doctor said. "Thanks for everything."

"Oh it was my pleasure, Doctor." Myra said smiling at him.

As he passed by her, the Doctor suddenly got a funny feeling that something wasn't right. He looked back at Myra and saw that she was still standing by the doorway smiling and waving at them. He waved back and forced a smile onto his face. Rose noticed him and gave him a quizzical look. The Doctor shook his head.

"Funny feeling." He mouthed to her. "Tell you in a minute."

Rose nodded and the Doctor turned his head back around. They followed him out of the huge hole into the main part of the sewer. As Quazak led them to the hole, the Doctor frowned and looked around him. Something was definitely not right. He could sense it.

"Wait!" he said putting a hand in front of Rose.

Rose and Quazak both stopped and stared at him.

"What, Doctor?" Quazak said frowning.

"What's going on here?" the Doctor demanded.

Quazak gave him an odd look.

"I'm…taking you to the skip." He said. "You know; the skip that is the entrance to this place. You said you wanted to leave and---"

"Don't give me that, what are you hiding?" the Doctor demanded.

Quazak shifted uneasily.

"Hiding?" he said trying to remain calm.

"Yes, hiding. There's something going on here, I can feel it. Why are you letting us leave here without any objections?"

"I…it's useless to argue with you." Quazak stammered. "You want to leave so I'm letting you."

He looked away as the Doctor's eyes bored into him.

"Rose, back up." He said.

Rose looked at him and slowly began to back away from Quazak. The Doctor followed her keeping his eyes on Quazak.

"Wait, where are you going?" he said following them. "The entrance is this way."

"Rose and I will find another way out."

"There is no other way out." Quazak protested.

"Don't give me that. You have to have a second exit somewhere in case the skip is blocked."

"But we don't. Doctor, be reasonable. Just follow me. The hole is this way."

"Run, Rose!"

"Doctor?" Rose said.

"I'll explain later! Run!"

Rose spun around with the Doctor and they stared to run.

"NOW!"

They gasped as several armed men came out of the shadows and surrounded them. The Doctor glared angrily at Quazak as he came up to them.

"I shoulda known." He said through gritted teeth. "It's all been a setup! You use this place to lure people you suspect might be with the resistance."

"No actually, Doctor, this is the resistance headquarters. Myra and I infiltrated it in order to observe their activities and slowly pick them off one by one."

"Safira." The Doctor spat out.

"Yes, I turned her in. Unfortunately, there was a rebel spy that we were unaware of that managed to smuggle her out before we could eliminate her."

"She's just a girl!" Rose said.

"Ah, but even a mere girl can bring down a government if given the chance." Quazak said. "She joined the resistance with her parents when she was ten. Her parents have since been dealt with, however."

"Then why let me cure her? Why not kill her when you had the chance?" the Doctor said.

"Oh, I don't do the killing. Not officially anyway. The government decides who lives and who dies. I was merely keeping her here until I got word on what to do with her. And since you were so eager to help her and went through so much trouble, I figured I'd let you treat her. It'll be better for her to get well anyway. It's not much fun to torture and kill someone who's nearly dead."

The Doctor started to lunge at him, but was stopped by the spies pointing their blasters in his face.

"So, now what happens to us?" the Doctor asked calmly.

"You will be taken in for questioning. After that it is up to the emperor what you and Rose's fates will be. I know that Zargon is very interested in you, though, being a Time Lord and all."

The Doctor's eyes bugged out of his head.

"How…how did you know I'm a Time Lord?" he asked.

Quazak smirked at Rose.

"Rose told me. She told me and Myra everything!"


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_He didn't say a word. Not a sound came from his lips. No yelling, no screaming. That would have been preferable to the reaction I did get. The look he gave me. It still burns in my memory. The look of shock and disbelief and hurt in his eyes was worse than any angry tirade. He did nothing when they came forward and cuffed his hands behind his back, just stared at me in silence. I couldn't believe that I had revealed who he was to these people. Wouldn't believe it. I would never betray the man I love like this. But, as I racked my brain, I couldn't remember ever saying anything about him being a Time Lord. All I could remember was sitting in the kitchen drinking Porpilia juice with Quazak and Labo…and then I got sleepy and…oh God, that can't be it. I can't have…I didn't even hesitate to drink it either. I just took what they gave me without even thinking twice…How could I have been so stupid? How could I have ignored the Doctor's warnings? He told me not to trust anyone, so why did I drink the Porpilia juice without question? I have no answer to that. It was sheer stupidity, that's what it was. And now my friend and lover is going to be tortured and executed because of me. The Doctor's been right all along. I am nothing but a stupid ape. My head lowers and I offer no resistance as I feel someone grab my arms and cuff them behind me. I pray if we get out of this that the Doctor will forgive me because I'm not sure right now if I'll ever be able to forgive myself._

"Take them away." Quazak said.

The spies grabbed the Doctor and Rose by their arms and jerked them roughly. The Doctor glared at Quazak as he walked past. Rose kept her head down and avoided everyone's eyes, especially the Doctor's. They walked to the hole and the Doctor was lifted up towards it and grabbed by two men waiting above. They dragged him through the hole and laid him nearby while they reached for Rose. Rose averted her eyes when they laid her beside the Doctor.

"Rose." He said softly to her.

Rose squeezed her eyes shut not wanting to look at him. Not wanting to see what she had done.

"Rose, please…listen to me. It's not…"

Rose's eyes snapped open when she heard the Doctor let out a grunt. To her horror, she saw one of the spies kneeling beside his unconscious body with a club in his hand. Before she could say anything, the spy brought the club down hard on her head. And her world went black…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The first thing the Doctor knew as he slowly regained consciousness was that wherever he was stank to high heaven and his knees and wrists hurt like hell. He opened his eyes and saw that he was on his knees in the middle of a dark, dank cell with his arms chained high above his head. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed a dead body rotting in one corner of the room.

"Well, that explains the smell, I guess." He muttered to himself.

He looked all around him for any sign of Rose and cursed when he didn't see her.

"I swear to Rassilon, Quazak, if you've done something to her, I will tear you limb from limb."

He looked over as he heard someone unlocking the heavy wooden cell door. His eyes narrowed when Quazak entered.

"Where's Rose?" he demanded.

"Why do you care about Rose? After all, she's the one who betrayed you and caused you to end up in here." He said.

"Rose wasn't responsible for her actions. Especially since I figured out that you put something in the Porpilia juice to make her talk. That's why she was so sleepy afterwards. Now, where is she?"

"She's fine. She's in another cell."

"I want to see her. I want to talk to her."

Quazak smirked.

"Why? So you can tell your little sweetie that it wasn't her fault?"

"Yes!"

"Sorry, the rules here forbid prisoners from talking to one another. I'm afraid you're just going to have to hope that Rose figures out you're not mad at her."

He stepped forward and bent down into his face.

"She's crying right now." He said gleefully. "Sitting in her cell crying her eyes out at what she did. Oh! And occasionally she'll say something like "I love you, Doctor. Don't hate me. Please forgive me." Heartbreaking, really. Shame you can't go and comfort her. But, rules are rules."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at the gloating look on his face.

"Why are you doing this to us?"

"Because you and Rose are with the resistance."

"We aren't and you know it! I've made that clear every chance I got. We weren't interested in joining the rebellion---"

"Yes, I know, you and Rose were playing a game and picking out random coordinates. She told me that too."

He leaned in closer to his face.

"Odd sort of game, Doctor. If I were you, I'd refrain from playing it in the future."

He smirked.

"Oh wait; you won't have a future after they get through gassing you. Sorry, I guess you're out of luck then."

The Doctor leaned forward and looked him right in the eyes.

"If I were you, I'd make damn sure I'd watch what I was saying because I've escaped from inescapable situations before and believe me, the last thing you wanna do is get on my bad side."

"Oh yes, the big, bad Time Lord who steps in and saves the day at the last minute. The Doctor who rights all the wrongs he sees and leaves everyone better for it." Quazak said. "Except there are some places in this universe that don't need to be saved."

"Like here, for instance?"

"Yes, exactly like here, Doctor. Zaphradia is just fine without your interference. We live together in peace and harmony and there is absolutely no crime."

"Yeah, because you arrest people before they can do anything."

"If that's what it takes to keep order here, Doctor."

"Oh yes, and it's just soooooo orderly here. Everyone does whatever they told and never questions a thing. I guess I was mistaken then about the little group hiding in the sewers. They must be the underground chapter of the Zargon fan club!"

"Ah yes, them. Well, there are exceptions, you know. But, to our credit, they are the only resistance movement out there. Poor deluded souls who think there's a better life for them if they could only overthrow Zargon and govern for themselves. Pathetic pipe dream if you ask me."

"And of course you're part of the ruling class so naturally you would think that."

"Zargon's regime has been good to me, Doctor. In return for our loyal service, Zargon has rewarded both Myra and us with sizable estates, servants and tons of money. He has done the same for all the others who are willing to do their duty for the government and turn in those who are, shall we say, not going along with the program?"

"And isn't it strange that after you just got finished boasting about how you've practically eliminated resistance, you tell me now that there are all these spies getting generously rewarded for turning in their friends and neighbors. Odd how Zargon needs to keep on using spies if everyone is "with the program." isn't it?"

"I told you before, what we are doing is a preventive measure. We are eliminating any trouble before it happens."

"And that is the reason Rose and I are here in the dungeon listening to you gloating and bragging and carrying on, eh? Because we might just throw a spanner into your well-oiled government?"

"You are a threat, Doctor. You must be dealt with before…"

"Before what? Before I start an insurrection? Raise an army of millions that will rise up to overthrow Zargon and all his little cronies and hurl them into the gas chamber?"

"Something like that. I realize you claim that you and Rose came here purely by chance, but, then again, what if you're lying about that?"

"What's wrong? You don't believe everything that came out of my drugged up companion's mouth?"

Quazak shrugged.

"It is possible to alter a person's mind and implant false memories that will allow a person to lie even after taking truth serum." He said.

"And you seriously think I would do that to Rose?"

"I'm not sure what you would do, Doctor. Judging from the legends I've heard you are a very dangerous man and you do whatever it takes to achieve your ends, which probably would include altering your companion's mind."

"So, what are you going to do with me then? I assume if you don't believe Rose's so-called confession, you are going to question me next, is that it?"

"Yes, in a couple of minutes guards will be coming to escort you to the interrogation room where you will be questioned by the inquisition."

"And then what? Is there anything I can say or do that will prevent them executing me and Rose?"

"I don't know, Doctor."

"You do know. You know exactly what's going to happen to us." The Doctor said angrily.

"No, actually, I don't. Emperor Zargon has been known to change his mind and spare prisoners. It's rare, but it happens."

"I assume you mean they become his slaves in order to keep on living."

Quazak shrugged.

"Your words, not mine." He said.

He looked back behind him when he heard the door unlock.

"Ah, here comes the guards to take you to the interrogation room." He said.

He smirked at him.

"If I were you, I'd cooperate. Wouldn't want Rose to be punished for your obstinacy, would you?"

The Doctor glared at him silently as two guards entered. Quazak stepped back and smirked at the Doctor when he saw him offering them no resistance.

"Thought you'd behave for the guards," Quazak said. "especially if your little girlfriend was threatened with punishment."

"If I were you, I'd wipe the smirk off your face because the first chance I get I'm gonna wipe it off for you!"

"Yeah, I'd be really scared at that if you really did have a chance of escaping. But you don't, so bye Doctor, have fun answering the inquisition's questions."

He chuckled and blew the Doctor a kiss as the guards shoved him out the door.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

A door opened and the Doctor was dragged into a large, stone room. The guards pulled him over to a spot in front of a long wooden table and forced him to his knees. The Doctor sat calmly facing the table as the guards picked up a leather restraint that was attached to the floor behind him and put it around his wrists above the handcuffs. Making sure it was tied tightly; they rose and left him alone in the room.

A moment later a door behind the table opened and three men walked into the room carrying some papers in their hands. The Doctor snorted when he saw they were dressed in heavy black robes with black velvet hoods covering their entire heads.

"Oh yeah, I can already see this is gonna be a fair and unbiased hearing." He muttered.

The inquisitors sat down at the table and spread the paperwork out in front of them. They glanced at it a moment murmuring to each other. Finally the middle inquisitor cleared his throat.

"You are known as the Doctor?" He asked in a deep voice.

"Yes." The Doctor replied.

The inquisitor on the far right picked up a pen and began taking notes.

"You are hereby accused of the crime of sedition against Emperor Zargon, may his exalted name live forever. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

There was a pause as the inquisitor on the right made of note of that.

"You are accused of fraternizing with known rebels with the intent of bringing down the regime of Emperor Zargon, may his exalted name live forever. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

Another pause.

"You are accused of providing medical attention for a known insurrectionist who had been charged with the crime of sedition against Emperor Zargon, may his exalted name live forever, and had been sentenced for execution for said crime before she escaped. How do you plead?"

"Ah, now that I plead guilty to." The Doctor said.

The inquisitors paused.

"Explain yourself." The inquisitor on the far left said.

"Explain myself?" The Doctor said.

"Explain why you willfully provided medical attention to someone who has been accused of trying to overthrow the government." The inquisitor on the far left said.

"Because the accused is a young, teenage girl who I'm pretty sure is guilty of nothing except being the child of rebels." The Doctor said. "She was in pain and needed care and I provided it for her. If anything I'm guilty of the crime of being a Good Samaritan and helping out."

The inquisitors looked at each other and paused to look at one of the papers in front of them.

"It says here that your race is Gallifreyan, not Samaritan." The middle inquisitor said.

"Good Samaritan is an Earth expression." The Doctor clarified.

"So you are, in fact, a Gallifreyan and a Time Lord then?" the inquisitor on the far right asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Even though they are extinct now."

"I am the last of my kind."

There was a buzzing among the inquisitors as they conferred quietly with each other.

"If what you are telling us is true, then you are, in fact, the legendary Time Lord known as the Doctor." The middle inquisitor said.

"I am."

"The so-called renegade Time Lord who willfully interferes in the affairs of other planets?"

The Doctor remained silent.

"Answer the question!" the one on the far right demanded.

"Yes, I have been known to interfere in other planet's affairs when I deem it necessary." The Doctor said.

"And how do you define "necessary?""The inquisitor on the far left asked.

The Doctor remained silent.

"Answer the question put to you!" the middle inquisitor demanded.

"I want representation first." The Doctor said.

The inquisitors stared at him.

"What do you mean by representation?" the middle inquisitor said.

"I mean, I want legal counsel. I want someone to confer with before I answer any more of your questions!" the Doctor said.

"Legal counsel is not necessary." The inquisitor on the far right said. "This hearing is conducted in a fair and open forum. There is no need for others."

"I see differently."

"You do not have any say in the matter! You are here to answer questions and that's----"

"Exactly! I have no say here or anywhere else! I am being repressed just like millions of other people all over this planet. My friend and I were deceived by people we thought were our friends and brought in here on trumped-up charges because the government is terrified that the last Time Lord might have come to crash their little party and bring an end to their brutality. And, by the way, a brutal government who tortures and kills its citizens without cause or due process is one of those sticky little things that causes me to step in and interfere in a planet's affairs. Just to let you know that."

"So you do admit to getting involved in the rebellion?" the middle inquisitor said.

"Well, I wasn't going to at first. But being here on my knees in this mockery of a court on trial for my life has kind of forced my hand and caused me to reconsider my hands-off policy for this planet."

"Mockery?" the inquisitor on the far right roared. "You are being given a chance to answer to the charges against you and defend yourself!"

"No, what I'm being given here is a chance to be humiliated and tortured for the amusement of a bunch of sadistic wankers who don't have anything better to do than to get off on ordering people flogged!"

There was a stunned silence as the three inquisitors stared at the Doctor who stared back at them with a smirk on his face.

"What? That's what this is, isn't it? Humiliation? I mean, I know I don't have a chance in Hell of getting off and escaping the gas chamber, so I might as well get my two pence in before I die."

The smirk widened as the three inquisitors sat silently.

"What's wrong? Not used to people speaking back to ya? Used to people cowering and crying at your feet and begging for their lives? Sorry, I'm not the cowering, crying type."

"You condemn yourself more and more with every word you speak!" the middle inquisitor said.

"No, I condemned myself and my friend the moment I imputed the coordinates for this place. Everything that's happened since has just been the inevitable result of that. It wouldn't have mattered if my friend and I had gotten involved with Quazak and been taken to the resistance headquarters. We were strangers here and sooner or later someone would have brought us in for something. Because, as I said before, that's what this government does. It does away with people it doesn't like or trust. You lot are only here to pick up a paycheck. You aren't concerned one bit with law and order. You just want to be the government's patsies because it's preferable to fighting for your freedom and ending up in the gas chamber along with everyone else. Nothing I say or do now will make one bit of difference. My friend and I have already been sentenced. This is just a formality designed to give the illusion of fairness and ease your consciences so you can sleep at night."

The inquisitors looked at each other.

"Then if you feel that you are going to die, we shall surely oblige you." The inquisitor on the far right said.

He looked at the others. They nodded and he looked back at the Doctor.

"I hereby sentence you to be tortured and then executed in the gas chamber for the crimes of sedition, fraternizing with rebels and providing medical aid to a known rebel. You will be taken from this place to the torture chamber and in the morning you will die."

He rose and opened the side door.

"Guards, we are finished with this one. Take him to the torture chamber." He said.

As the guards entered, the other inquisitors rose and joined the other. As the guards undid the Doctor's restraint, they went without a word through the door at the back and closed it behind them.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Zargon looked up from his paperwork when he heard someone knock on his door.

"Enter," He said.

Sarfak entered and prostrated himself.

"Sire, the Doctor has been before the inquisition. This is their report," he said handing it to him.

Zargon took it and read the contents quietly.

"So, he admits to being an insurrectionist?" Zargon asked him.

"Yes, Sire. He admitted that he came here to bring down your government." Sarfak said.

"Then, we were right to arrest him. The Doctor is a menace not only to my empire, but to all peace loving planets across the universe. He has been meddling in other planet's business for far too long. It's about time someone put a stop to him."

"Yes, Sire."

Zargon read further.

"He is being tortured right now?" he asked.

"Yes, Sire."

"And he will be executed in the morning?"

"Yes, Sire."

"Excellent."

"Sire, there is some question of whether or not to televise the Doctor's execution. If he is a symbol for freedom, would it be wise to show him being killed?"

"Yes, show my people that even someone as revered and legendary as the Doctor is not immune from punishment and execution. People will think twice about rebelling against me after seeing him die."

"Are you sure it won't have the opposite effect, Sire?" Sarfak said. "Are you sure he won't become a martyr after his death?"

"Oh, there may be some foolish citizens who may try to fight on in his name. Our spies will quickly put a stop to that though. As for the rest of them, the sight of the Doctor dying will be enough to silence them. Carry on with the televised execution as planned."

"Yes, Sire," Sarfak said. "Now about the female, Rose, what do we do with her? Should we execute her as well?"

Zargon pondered that. He looked back down at the report and read it.

"The Doctor is concerned that we do not show mercy to people, I take it?" he said glancing up at Sarfak.

"No, he accuses your exaltedness of killing needlessly without regard for innocence or guilt."

"Yes, well, it's amusing to me that he should think that since according to the legends the Doctor has killed more than his share of people in his lifetimes," He muttered to himself.

He laid down the report.

"This TARDIS of his; its being retrieved now?"

"Yes, Sire, we've sent several people out with wagons and snow plows to retrieve it and bring it back to the palace."

"And this was also the female's primary means of transport to the planet?"

"Yes, Sire."

Zargon thought.

"Human, is she?"

"Yes, Sire."

Zargon stood and looked out his window.

"This Rose is of no consequence. It's the Time Lord I'm most concerned about. She is his companion and being human, she does not have the physical strength or mental capacity that he has. I do not see her as being a threat."

"You wish to let her go?" Sarfak said confused.

"Yes, I think there is no danger in that. She will have no means of transport off this planet without the TARDIS, we will make sure to keep an eye on her for the rest of her life and…"

He turned and smiled.

"I think she should witness the Doctor's execution personally. Seeing her friend die will take the fight out of her permanently, I should think."

"And if it doesn't?"

The smile grew wider.

"Well, the human brain is very malleable. If she doesn't accept this gesture of mercy and continues to make trouble or rally people around her, then she will be…retrained to think in a way that is fitting."

"Yes, Sire. So nothing should be done to her? No torture?"

"No, don't bother. Just let her sit in her cell until just before the execution. My torturers have enough to deal with at the moment without expending any energy on a worthless human girl."

"Yes, Sire," Sarfak said.

He bowed and started to back out of the room.

"Oh and Sarfak,"

"Yes, Sire?"

"I just had a thought. Make sure the Doctor is gagged before he is brought outside. We don't need him making any unnecessary speeches before he dies."

"Yes, Sire."

Zargon chuckled to himself as Sarfak backed out the door and closed it.

"At last, the meddling Doctor has been brought to justice." He said. "And after tomorrow, my name will go down in history as the one who executed him."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose raised her head when she heard someone unlocking the heavy wooden door of her cell. She had been up all night crying off and on and she was so weary and heartsick that she offered no resistance to the guards when they came in and got her to her feet. Lowering her head, she allowed them to pull her along down the corridor no longer caring where she went or what happened to her. The Doctor was probably lying somewhere bruised, beaten and whipped and the knowledge that she had been the one responsible made her even more apathetic to her situation. Death felt like a welcome release to her now and she walked willingly towards its open arms.

It came as a surprise to her then when the guards opened a door and shoved her into a small room. She looked around. The walls were bare and painted a sickly lemon yellow and a small speaker was mounted above her in the ceiling. There was no furniture anywhere, nothing for her to sit or lie on. There was a huge window in the front of the room and looking out; Rose could see she was at eye level with the gas chamber several feet in front of her. Numbly, she walked over and stared at it as the sun began to rise over the horizon. She let out a ragged sigh knowing that it wouldn't be long now. She was pretty sure that they had brought her out here to wait for her execution. She wondered for a moment if the Doctor had already been killed and shook her head at the thought. What did it matter now? If they hadn't executed him yet, they would soon. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and she resumed mentally beating herself up.

She stood there for God knows how long just staring at the empty gas chamber with tears running down her eyes. Slowly people began to congregate around the chamber, but Rose was so lost in her thoughts, she paid no attention to them. It was only the sound of Bartoc's voice coming out of the speaker that jolted her back into the present.

"Welcome everyone, it's a beautiful morning in our fair city," he said. "The snow has actually stopped for the moment, which is good since that will give everyone at home a clear view of the execution."

"Yeah, be sure to let everyone see me die." Rose muttered to herself.

"And today we have a very special execution. The Time Lord known as the Doctor has been charged with sedition against Emperor Zargon, long live his exalted name, and now he is scheduled to die in the gas chamber any minute now."

Rose blinked and her heart sank into the pit of her stomach.

"Oh God, no, not him." She said. "Kill me, not him."

She put her hand over her mouth as she felt the bile rising up in her throat.

"You bastards! You sick bastards!" she said out loud.

She leaned her head against the glass dreading the moment when she would see him led out to the gas chamber. Minutes passed, although it seemed like years to Rose as she stared numbly at the chair the Doctor would be strapped into.

"And now here he comes, folks, the Doctor is being led to the gas chamber!"

Rose turned her head and began to weep when she saw the Doctor walking calmly, gagged and bound, between two guards.

"Oh God," she cried when she saw his left eye was swollen shut and there were cuts and bruises all over him.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she noticed the Doctor put up no resistance, but was instead walking towards the gas chamber with purpose and determination in his step. Rose stepped back in horror as he briefly looked around and caught her eyes. She expected a recriminating gaze, but instead she saw only the same loving look he always had. His gaze was too much for her and she fell to her knees as her heart wrenched in agony. She hazarded another glance at him but he had turned his head back to the gas chamber and was standing quietly as one of the guards untied him and the other opened the door.

"He's not putting up any resistance, folks." Bartoc said through the speaker. "How disappointing. I don't know about you but I was expecting some kind of struggle on the Time Lord's part."

"Shut up!" Rose screamed at the speaker.

She pressed her face up against the window and stared at the Doctor as he sat down in the chair and they strapped him in.

"My love, I'm so sorry." She said to herself. "Please forgive me! Please!"

She cried as the guards left the chamber and the Doctor looked her way again. She saw again the same loving look mixed with concern and…a wink? Was he winking at her or was he only blinking? Rose couldn't bear much more of this. She wanted to turn her head away, but couldn't. She pressed her face against the glass sobbing as the Doctor turned his head back towards the door. A few seconds later, the sobbing intensified as she saw the lime-green gas floating up from the floor. She wailed and pounded on the window when she saw the Doctor's eyes widened in shock and he began to convulse violently in his chair.

"I LOVE YOU, DOCTOR!" Rose screamed. "I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!"

She let out a strangled cry when she saw the Doctor convulse one more time and then become still. The horror of what had just happened hit her like a ton of bricks and with one last cry of agony she fainted away into merciful darkness.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

_The first impression I have of Heaven as I regain conciousness is that it's chilly and it stinks. I lay there with my eyes closed for a moment afraid to open them and see where I am. Heaven shouldn't be like this, should it? Or am I in Hell? Oh God, that's it. They killed me while I was unconcious and I went to Hell. That has to be it. After all, it's what I deserve. Knowing that I'm only delaying the inevitable, I swallow back my fear and slowly open my eyes expecting demons to be standing over me with their pitchforks just like in the old Renaissance paintings. Instead, I find myself lying on the floor of my cell. Confused, I slowly sit up. They aren't going to kill me? Or…are they just waiting? Letting the horror of what happened to the Doctor sink in, tormenting me before I die? That must be it. Oh God, the Doctor. My poor, sweet Doctor, gone. I hug my knees tight to my body as my weeping begins anew. As tears flow from my eyes, I scan the room wondering if he's in here with me at this very moment. Is he keeping watch over me just as he did in life, or is he off somewhere else wanting nothing more to do with his traitorous companion? Just in case he is here and listening, I speak soft words of love and forgiveness hoping that he will understand and know that I meant him no harm. I don't know how he would react to what I'm saying, but I imagine him smiling and nodding at me and forgiving me completely for his death. The image of that comforts me and I find the strength to calm myself and stop my tears. Hugging myself to keep warm, I sit silently on the floor of my prison waiting for the moment when it will be my turn and I'll see my beloved again at last._

Rose looked over as she heard someone unlock the wooden door. She glared at Quazak when he stepped in and shut the door behind him.

"Hello Rose." He said.

"You killed him." Rose replied. "He was your friend and you turned him in."

"He wasn't my friend and neither are you. I don't associate with the lower classes unless I have to. I only pretended to be a friend to you and the Doctor because I was ordered to."

"You bastard!"

Quazak shrugged.

"Call me what you want, Rose. I'm not the one sitting on a filthy prison floor crying her eyes out over the death of her lover."

"The Doctor isn't dead. I refuse to believe it!"

"Ah, well, that's why I'm here. You see, they're going to bury the Doctor in a couple of hours. They're digging the grave right now. Zargon, in his mercy, has graciously allowed you to see him and say goodbye before you are set free. Then, you can see for yourself that the Doctor is well and truly deceased."

"They…they're letting me go?" Rose said in disbelief.

"Oh yes, seems the Doctor was going on with this nonsense about the government executing people who don't deserve it. That is a complete lie, of course, and you do deserve to die just as much as the Doctor did. But, in his mercy, Zargon has graciously granted you a pardon. Now, of course, you will have no way off the planet. At least, you won't have the TARDIS at your disposal since that is being brought back to the palace. In addition, you will be watched as long as you are here on this planet, but you will be allowed to live."

"I'd rather die."

Quazak shrugged.

"Hey, you wanna do that; go ahead and kill yourself after you get out of here. Makes no difference to me. I'll be safe and secure in the knowledge that I am doing my civic duty and helping the government get rid of dangerous anarchists like the Doctor."

"Go fuck yourself!"

"Now, Rose, that's no way to talk to me. Especially since I'm here to take you to see your lover. If you insist on talking to me with a filthy mouth, I'll go right back out the door and he'll be buried without your goodbyes to accompany him. Now, which is it? Are you gonna behave and let me take you to him or are you going to keep on calling me obsene names and sit here in your cell alone?"

"I wanna see him."

"Then you'll behave?"

"Yes."

"Then get up off the floor and follow me. I'll take you to him."

Rose slowly got up. She followed behind Quazak and a couple of guards wanting nothing more than to see the Doctor. She followed him through several corridors before he stopped at a large wooden door on his right side. He held out his hand and a guard gave him a large silver key. He unlocked the door, glanced in and gestured inside.

"See for yourself." He said.

He stepped back as Rose slowly walked to the door. She paused in the doorway and her eyes filled with tears when she saw the Doctor's body lying in a steel coffin at the back of the room. Her heart aching, she stumbled towards him and fell to her knees beside the coffin. He was lying motionless with his arms crossed over his body and his hands touching each of his shoulders. Two pieces of paper were lying across his arms. Rose picked it up and realized it was his order of execution and his death certificate. She laid the order down and scanned through the death certificate trying not to break down completely as she read…

Time of Death: 0602 Zaphradian Standard Time

Cause of Death: Asphyxiation and cardiac arrest from inhalling poisonous carroc gas.

Rose flung the death certificate back on top of his arms. Putting a hand to her mouth, she wept quietly as she looked up at the Doctor's face. He hadn't regenerated and for a moment hope swelled in Rose's heart and she quickly put her fingers to his jugular vein praying that he was faking his death. Her hope faded when she detected no pulse underneath her fingertips.

"No, it can't be." She murmured to herself. "You can't be dead."

She ignored Quazak and the two guards who were standing behind her snickering and she leaned in closer to the Doctor's face. She bit her lip when she saw how pale and lifeless he looked and she wiped the tears away from her eyes. He still had the cuts and bruises she had seen on him earlier, although she noticed that the swelling on his left eye had gone down considerably now. Tentatively, she reached up with her left hand and stroked his hair while her right hand held the hand lying on his right shoulder. She stared at him quietly thinking to herself how peaceful and beautiful he looked. She hoped that he hadn't suffered long before dying. She hesitated a moment when she heard the snickering and guffawing continuing behind her and then deciding she didn't care anymore, she leaned over and kissed the Doctor's cold, pale lips. She lingered there for a moment imagining she could feel his lips warming at her touch and, like Sleeping Beauty, the Doctor would awaken from his death-like sleep, open his eyes and look at her once more. But, there was no warmth in his lips, no warm, soft breath escaping his nose and hitting her cheek. There was nothing. Rose's heart broke in half as she gave her beloved another gentle kiss on the lips knowing that in a few hours he would be lowered into a cold, dark grave never to see the sunlight again. She moved away from his lips and put her mouth next to his right ear. Speaking softly so Quazak and the others couldn't hear, she whispered her love and devotion to him. How she would never love another. How she would never forget him. How she hoped that he was with her now watching over her and forgiving her for what she did. Tears fell from her eyes and wet his cheek as she kissed his earlobe and said her final farewell to him. As she leaned back up, she hesitated a moment and then she reached for the chain around her neck and pulled the TARDIS key out. She stared at it for a moment and then she pressed her lips gently to it and gave it a soft kiss. Then, removing it from around her neck, she reached down, gently lifted the Doctor's right hand and put it on his shoulder. She gave him a kiss on the forehead as she lowered his hand back onto it.

"Keep this safe for me, my love." She whispered to him. "I won't need it anymore. If you forgive me, you can give it back to me when we see each other again."

She lingered there not wanting to pull herself away from him. Finally, with great strength of will, she stood and steadied herself and lifting her chin defiantly, she turned towards Quazak and the guards.

"All done?" Quazak said with an amused grin.

"Yes, I am." Rose said trying to keep her voice steady.

Quazak gestured to the door.

"After you." He said.

She took one last look at the Doctor. Then, biting her lip to hold back another onslaught of tears, she forced herself to turn away and imitating the man she loved above all others, she strode out the door with the same sense of purpose and determination that she had seen him exhibit on his way to the gas chamber.

Quazak looked at the Doctor and let out a snort of contempt before turning with the guards, heading out the door and locking it behind him.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Rose looked up as the cell door opened and Quazak stepped inside the room. It had been a couple of hours since she had said her last goodbyes to the Doctor and she was cold and weary with everything that had happened over the past few days.

"You're free to go, Rose." He said.

Rose nodded although she didn't have the slightest idea where she would go or what she would do. The TARDIS was in Zargon's possession and even if she was able to get back to it, she wouldn't be able to fly it. Her life without the Doctor seemed empty and uncertain. It was hard for her to believe that only a few days had passed since they had come here. So much had happened since then that Rose was still having trouble processing it all in her mind. It all seemed like a surreal dream to her. As she walked towards the door, she kept wondering if she was ever going to wake up and find herself lying beside the Doctor, but deep in her heart she knew that this was reality and that made it all even more difficult to bear.

She didn't say a word as a guard put a blindfold over her eyes.

"Safety precaution." Quazak explained. "In case you have thoughts about storming the place and freeing others. We don't want you to know where everything is."

At the moment, Rose could possibly care less about fighting back, let alone storming the jail. She felt the guards take her by the arms and she walked with them as they led her out.

When they reached the front door, she gasped when they opened it and snow pelted her in the face.

"Blizzard's back, I see." Quazak said casually. "I guess you better find some shelter before you freeze, eh?"

He got very close to her face.

"Oh, and if you're thinking about going back to the hideout, I'd advise against it. You see, not only are we watching it closely, but the government has also put out a broadcast telling the public all about you and the Doctor and how you plotted to bring down the government. So, I think you'll find that you won't find many supporters if you're thinking about rallying people to rise against us. Everyone will be too scared to be seen with you, let alone help you. So just keep that in mind when you're trying to find someplace to go."

Rose gasped as he ripped the blindfold off and shoved her hard into a snowdrift.

"Bye, Rose! Have fun trying to make a life for yourself here!"

He and the guards laughed as they walked back inside and slammed the iron door shut.

Rose raised her head and shook the snow from her hair. She stood up, wrapped her arms around her body and stumbled away from the prison into the blinding snowstorm.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Ugh, burial detail, my least favorite job." a guard said as he opened the door.

Him and a friend walked into the room that held the Doctor's coffin. They looked down at the Time Lord lying motionless in it.

"Look at it this way, Jak," his friend said gesturing to the Doctor. "Bloke's skinny, so the coffin should be easy to move."

"Good, because I don't feel like trudging through this bloody snowstorm now, let alone carrying a heavy coffin with me."

The guard chuckled.

"Just wait here and I'll get a couple more people to help us move it." He said to Jak. "I'm sure there are a few willing to help out."

Jak nodded. His friend went out the door and he sighed as he stuck his hands in his trouser pockets. He glanced down at the Doctor and snorted.

"Scrawny little git." He muttered to himself looking back at the door. "Don't know what that human girl saw in him."

"I'm witty, lovable, and a fantastic dancer."

Jak's eyes widened. He swiveled his head around and gasped when he saw the Doctor staring up at him.

"Hello there! I'm back from the dead. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" he said grinning at him.

The grin quickly fell off his face and before Jak could react, the Doctor shot up and seized him by the throat. Jak gulped as he looked into the furious face of the Time Lord.

"Now you listen to me and listen good." The Doctor said, his piercing eyes blazing with anger. "I'm only gonna ask this once and if I don't get the answer I'm looking for, you are gonna be trading places with me permanently."

Jak gasped as the Doctor tightened his hold on his neck and forced him close to his face.

"Where's Rose?" he snarled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose trudged through the snow trying to find somewhere to escape from the cold. The wind was blowing against her skin chilling her to the bone, but every time she tried to ask someone for help or shelter they shied away from her and quickly hurried away. Rose knew it was because of what Quazak had told her. People recognized her as a rebel and didn't want to be anywhere near her in case spies were about. Coughing, she put her head down and fought the fierce wind looking left or right for somewhere to duck into. The storm had closed down most of the businesses and people were hurrying home as fast as they could. Finally, after what seemed like ages, she noticed light spilling onto the street from a storefront window and she pressed on towards it. When she reached it, she noticed that it was the pub that she and the Doctor had gone to before. She hesitated outside, not wanting to go back to the place where all of their troubles had begun, but she could see no other alternative besides freezing to death; so gathering up her courage, she reached for the door handle and went inside.

The mood in the place changed instantly the moment she walked in. What little conversation instantly ceased and all eyes turned to her with shock and anger on their faces. Rose ignored the accusing stares and headed towards the bar. She leaned against it and looked over at the bartender who was ignoring her as he dried out a glass bowl.

"I'd…like something to drink." She said to him. "Something with alcohol in it this time."

The bartender ignored her as he sat the bowl back under the counter.

"Please? Could I please have something to drink?" she asked him.

The bartender glared silently at her for a moment and then picked up another bowl and began wiping it dry.

"Please, can I please have a drink?" Rose said insistently.

"Why don't you go back out the fucking door and leave us alone?"

Rose turned to see several men glaring at her.

"I…I just want a drink, that's all." She said.

"Yeah, well we don't want the likes of you here." The man closest to her said. "Why don't you go back to your rebel friends and get something to drink there?"

"Please, you don't understand. I was framed." She protested. "We both were; me and the Doctor. You got to believe me."

"Why should we believe you? You're with the Doctor." One man said. "He's nothing but a troublemaking Time Lord that went around causing trouble and killing people. Good riddance to him and his ilk."

"God, is that what they told you?" Rose said. "No, that's not true. The Doctor helps people. He's not evil, he's good!"

She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.

"I think you better leave." The bartender said to her.

"Please, I just want a drink. If you just let me sit in the corner, I won't cause trouble." She pleaded.

"OUT!" the bartender yelled as he jabbed his finger at the door. "Before I call someone and have them arrest you again!"

Rose stared at him for a moment and then with a sigh, she slowly shuffled away as the men muttered amongst themselves. She gasped when she opened the door. The snow hit her face and the cold air took her breath away. Stumbling along, she ducked into an alley and found a skip. She raised the lid and saw that it was filled halfway to the top with rubbish. Rose stared at it for a moment as her hair whipped around her face and then with a grunt, she heaved herself up and over and closed the lid. Tears ran down her face as she lay down in the rubbish, wrapped her arms around her shivering body and tried to get some sleep.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Quazak sat in a chair in his office and sipped a bowl of barzolium juice savoring the burning sensation the alcoholic drink was having on his throat as it went down. He would rest up for another half hour or so and then return to the resistance headquarters. There he would tell the others how he had been the one to discover the Doctor and Rose's evil plan to turn them all in to the authorities and have them executed. It was only because of his quick thinking that they had all been saved. He smiled imagining the praise that would be heaped upon him by the others for saving their lives. Such naïve idiots. It made his and Myra's job that much easier.

He took another sip and paused when he heard panicked yells from the other guards coming from the corridor. Laying his bowl down on his desk, he grabbed his club and walked to the door. Stepping outside, he turned to his right.

"Alright, what's going on out---"

He froze when he saw who the guards were fighting. His eyes bulged out of his head and the hand holding the club trembled.

"No, that's impossible. You can't be alive." He said to himself as he stared at the Doctor.

The Doctor decked a guard and he fell to the floor unconscious. He turned and seized the last guard by the throat. As he held the struggling guard in his powerful grip, he looked up and noticed Quazak for the first time.

"Oh! Just the man I was looking for!" he said happily.

Quazak gasped as the Doctor rammed the guard into the wall. The Doctor kept his eyes on him as he let the unconscious guard slip from his grasp.

"I believe I warned you not to underestimate my ability to escape the inescapable." He said as he slowly walked towards Quazak.

"It can't be! No one escapes the gas!"

The Doctor smirked.

"Well, just call me mister no-one then." He said.

Quazak turned to run but the Doctor was on him in a heartbeat. He gasped as the Doctor seized him roughly by the scruff of the neck and squeezed his wrist causing him to drop the club. The Doctor wrenched Quazak's arm behind his back and leaned into him as Quazak let out a yelp.

"Let's talk in your office, shall we?" he snarled in his ear as he forced Quazak through the open door.

Quazak let out a grunt when the Doctor threw him to the floor and shut the door behind him. He quickly turned and used the sonic screwdriver to lock it.

"That'll keep out any undesirables for the moment." The Doctor said turning back to him.

"This…is impossible. You can't be alive!" Quazak said scooting back towards his desk. "The coroner examined you. You had no heartbeat, no pulse…H…how?"

"Ah, well, see all of that is due to the unique abilities I possess." The Doctor said proudly. "First off, I have a little thing called a respiratory bypass system that allows me to keep breathing when my oxygen supply is threatened. So I can keep on living if air goes out of a room or…"

"When there's poison gas around." Quazak finished.

"Spot on!" the Doctor said nodding. "When the gas came up through the floor, I merely switched to my respiratory bypass system and did a little play acting for the benefit of the spectators. An extremely brilliant performance if I do say so myself."

"But the coroner examined you. How did you fake not having a heartbeat or a pulse?" Quazak asked, confused.

"Ah, well that's another neat little trick of mine. You see, I have the ability to put myself into a deep meditative trance and slow down my heartbeat and bodily systems so much that to a casual observer it appears as if I'm dead. I did that while the guards were waiting for the gas in the chamber to dissipate enough that they could safely enter. Normally I use it when I'm gravely injured and need time for my body to heal itself, but it also comes in handy when I'm playin' possum. If the coroner had examined me long enough eventually he would have detected a heartbeat, but in order to do that he would had to have waited a whole hour since that's how slow my heart rate was at that point. Coming back from the grave was simply a matter of coming out of the trance and bringing my bodily functions back to normal."

His face hardened.

"Now, that I've revealed my little trick to you, it's your turn to reveal something to me."

He reached into the pocket of his trench coat and pulled out Rose's TARDIS key.

"When I was in the trance, I was unaware of what was happening around me." He said. "However, when I woke up, I found this under my right hand. This is Rose's TARDIS key which means she must have been with me at some point."

Quazak gasped as the Doctor seized his throat with his left hand and jerked him up to his face.

"Where is she, Quazak?" he said. "Take me to her and by Rassilon, if you or anyone else has harmed her, I will snap your neck without a second thought."

Quazak gulped when he saw the menace in the Time Lord's eyes.

"She…she's gone." He stuttered.

"Gone where?" The Doctor growled.

"We…we let her go. Emperor Zargon allowed her to live. We took her to the front door and let her go…I swear!" he added when he saw the Doctor's eyes narrow. "She went away into the snowstorm and that's the last we saw of her!"

He grunted in pain when the Doctor slammed him against his desk.

"You are a coward, Quazak. You turned in two innocent people because you are too terrified to stand up against Zargon!"

Quazak swallowed his fear and gave him a haughty look.

"Why should I fight Zargon? Like I told Rose, he has rewarded me for my loyalty. I have a beautiful house, servants, mon---"

"What you have has been given to you at the cost of thousands of innocent lives." The Doctor snarled. "You and others like you have gotten rich off the misery of others. You sit there in your posh little mansions and count your blood money and soothe your nagging consciences by telling yourself that you're doing your duty and it's all for the good of the planet. That all these people who were brutally beaten and executed without mercy deserved it because it was only a matter of time before they threatened poor, pitiful Zargon's life. That bastard has built his empire on the bodies of countless dead and you're one of the ones throwing the corpses on the pile.

The Doctor's nostrils flared and Quazak choked as he tightened his hold on his windpipe.

"I've seen what comes out of this so-called peaceful empire of yours. I sat down there with Rose in a filthy, stinking sewer treating an innocent young woman who thankfully escaped with her life. I haven't known Safira very long, but I'm pretty sure she's not the shifty-eyed, evil, depraved anarchist the empire's made her out to be. She deserves far more than lying there on a filthy cot in a stinking sewer in tremendous pain. If anyone deserves the mansion and the servants and the riches, it's her! But it's because of you that she's lying there and that only adds to the hatred I feel in my hearts."

His eyes bored into him and Quazak trembled.

"I could kill you right now." He said in a low voice. "I could snap your neck and rid this planet of a sniveling, traitorous, little weasel that doesn't deserve one bit of mercy or compassion. Just one snap and you'd be no more."

Quazak gulped and shook with fear as he stared into the Doctor's coal-black eyes.

"What's it feel like, Quazak?" The Doctor said. "To know that you might be executed any second now? Does it fill your heart with fear? Does it make you want to beg for mercy, for some compassion because you don't deserve to die? Are you thinking about all the evil you've done in this life and hoping that it doesn't count against you in the hereafter? Is that thought going through your mind now, Quazak? Because it would be oh so easy to snap your neck like a twig and walk away without another glance."

"N…no…p…please." Quazak murmured.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"What's that, I couldn't quite hear you."

"P…please spare me, Doctor." Quazak said a little louder.

"What? Still didn't get that."

"Don't kill me!" Quazak yelled.

"Why? Why should I spare you, Quazak? Give me one good reason why you deserve to live when so many others have died?"

"I…I want to live."

"Yeah, you ever stop to think that all the other victims wanted that very same thing?"

"I'm…sorry."

The Doctor snorted.

"No, you're not. You're only sorry you got caught and are about to die. You don't give a damn about all the lives you've helped tear apart and destroy. All that matters to you is your pathetic little life and your ill-gotten gains."

"Please, Doctor, have mercy on me." Quazak begged.

A smirk passed across the Doctor's face as he kept his grip on Quazak's neck. They remained that way for a few minutes and then the Doctor relaxed his hold slightly.

"Oh, thank you, Doctor." Quazak said relieved. "I knew you wouldn't do---"

He gasped as he tightened his hold again.

"I'm not like you, Quazak. Despite what you and others may think, I'm not roaming the universe spreading anarchy and destruction and killing everyone I see. I'm better than you and so is Rose and most of the people on this planet. I will spare your miserable little life on one condition."

"Anything, Doctor!"

The Doctor smirked and he leaned in closer to his face.

"I'll just borrow a line from the old sci-fi movies and say…take me to your leader."


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The Doctor walked Quazak to the door of his office. They paused a moment and he watched as the Doctor used the sonic screwdriver to unlock the door. He was about to open the door when the Doctor seized his neck.

"Listen to me and listen good." The Doctor said to him. "You see this little device? Not only is it good at locking and unlocking doors, I can also turn up the intensity and blow your head wide open. So, if I were you I wouldn't make trouble unless you want your brains splattered everywhere."

Quazak looked down at the screwdriver.

"I think you're bluffing, Doctor." He said.

"You wanna put that to the test?"

Quazak stared at the screwdriver.

"Well, what's it gonna be? You gonna do what I say or do you want to call my bluff?"

Quazak thought it over. Finally, he let out a sigh and nodded.

"Alright, I'll do what you say, Doctor." He said.

"Good."

The Doctor stifled a laugh when Quazak turned his head towards the door.

"Open the door slowly." The Doctor commanded him.

Quazak opened the door as the Doctor put the screwdriver to the back of his head.

"Walk outside." He told him.

Quazak sighed and walked out the door. The Doctor followed behind him. As he went out into the corridor, he noticed a couple of the guards had revived and were now hurrying towards them.

"Order them to stand down or you die." The Doctor said, poking him in the back of the head with the screwdriver.

"Back off!" Quazak said to them. "Don't do anything! He's armed!"

The guards hesitated and then backed up against the wall.

"Order them to grab the others and head into your office."

"Do as he says."

The guards looked at each other. They grabbed their two unconscious comrades by their arms and dragged them back to Quazak's office. The Doctor and Quazak followed him. He kept a hold on Quazak's neck as he entered with them. He aimed the screwdriver at the phone on the desk and disabled it. He turned the screwdriver on the two conscious guards.

"Back up against the wall and stay there until we leave." He said.

The guards obeyed. The Doctor pushed on Quazak's neck and he walked with him back out into the corridor. He closed the door and locked it with the screwdriver.

"Move!" he ordered Quazak. "I want you to take me to Zargon now!"

Quazak sighed angrily and complied. He led the Doctor down the corridor towards the exit.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose opened her eyes. She was half frozen and the smell from the rubbish was overpowering. No longer able to stand sleeping in the stench, she sat up and opened the lid for some fresh air. She closed it quickly, however, when a blast of cold wind and snow hit her on the face. She slumped down on the rubbish and put her hand over her eyes. Fighting the urge to cry, she gathered her strength and lifted up the lid again. This time she did not back down from the storm but instead hoisted herself up and over onto the ground. She closed the lid and hugged her arms tight around her while she went to look for food.

She stumbled out into the street and walked along fighting the winds that threatened to knock her off her feet. She hadn't had anything to eat since yesterday and she was weak from lack of sleep and the shock of being imprisoned and seeing the Doctor die. She trudged along trying to ignore her rumbling stomach as she searched for somewhere to get a bite to eat. She tried not to look at the rubbish bins knowing that was probably where she was probably going to end up eating. She knew in the back of her mind that what had happened at the pub wouldn't be a onetime thing. She guessed that any restaurant or pub would refuse her service now because of who she was, but she still had to try. She couldn't give up.

She blinked as snow flew directly into her eyes. Furiously she wiped at them muttering curses under her breath. She lowered her hand and instantly she felt an enormous pain right on the back of her head and saw stars in front of her eyes. Confused, she stumbled around and noticed a rock lying in the snow at her feet. She looked up and saw several people glaring at her a few feet away. Her eyes widened when she saw several of them were holding rocks in their hands.

"GET AWAY FROM HERE!" one of the men screamed. "WE DON'T WANT YOU AROUND!"

"Please, I just want something to eat." Rose yelled back.

"We don't care what you want! Now get the Hell away from here!"

Before Rose could react, the man threw his rock right at her face. She reeled back and held her hand to her nose. She took her hand away and saw that there was blood on it.

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, REBEL!" another man yelled.

Rose gasped as the people began to throw rocks and snowballs at her. Crying, she ran down the street as the crowd laughed and jeered at her.

"Doctor, help me!" she sobbed. "If you're listening, please guide and protect me. I need you now more than ever!"

She ran into an alley and leaned against the wall. Sinking to the ground, she pinched her nose shut trying to stop the bleeding as she listened to the laughter and taunts dying away in the distance. She ran her finger under her nose and looked at it from time to time checking for blood. After about five minutes, the bleeding finally stopped. She sighed and looked over at the rubbish bins. Rising, she forced herself to walk over and open one of the lids. Blinking back the tears, she began to dig through the rubbish looking for some food.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're never gonna get away with this, you know that, don't you?" Quazak said as he and the Doctor walked through the blizzard towards the imperial palace. "You'll be arrested before you get to see him and this time they'll make sure you stay dead even if they have to bury you alive."

"If I were you, I'd be more concerned about your own neck. After all, you're leading an accused anarchist right to the emperor. I'm sure the powers-that-be won't be too happy about that."

"I'll just tell them you're forcing me to do this."

The Doctor snorted.

"Yeah, and you know what they'll say to that? You should have given your life for your emperor rather than lead a dangerous man to his doorstep, right?"

Quazak didn't reply.

"What's wrong, Quazak? You've gone quiet all of a sudden. Aren't you ready to die for your lord and master? Isn't that what being in the service of the empire is all about? Protecting Zargon at all costs? Or is being alive to enjoy your riches much more important to you?"

"I don't see you laying down your life for anyone. The renegade Time Lord who thinks only of himself and his noble cause of defending the universe from the "evil baddies" he thinks are out there."

"On the contrary, there have been times when I've laid down my life for my friends. The fact that I'm on my tenth life now attests to that. Not to mention the fact that I willingly walked to the gas chamber to protect Rose."

"How is pretending to die protecting Rose?"

"I knew that you lot limit yourself to one execution per day so that you have time to give the corpse a proper burial and decontaminate the chamber for the next victim. I also knew that my execution would be a higher priority than Rose's since I'm more high profile, shall we say, so I let myself be tortured and gassed so you would think I was dead and gone and would let down your guard. When I woke, the first thing I was gonna do was find Rose and make sure she was safe. Because, unlike you, Quazak I do care for someone other than myself. Even if there had been no hope of escaping the gas chamber, I still would have gone to my death willingly to save her life and I know if it had been her, she would have done the same for me. Friends are far more valuable to me than any mansion or gold or prestige. I would have been dead long ago if it hadn't been for the companions that traveled with me; who helped me and looked out for me and cared for me when no one else would. "

"Yeah, yeah, spare me the sugary sweet bullshit, will ya?" Quazak said. "You can talk on and on all day about how great friends are and how valuable and necessary they are to someone's well-being, but you try thinking that when you've had a few turn on you and leave you for dead."

"Why? Is that what happened to you?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes. There were a couple of people I knew growing up who I thought were my best friends and they talked of starting a rebellion and overthrowing the government just like those people back in the skip. I went along with them and even went out with them on a couple of nights and threw homemade bombs at government installations and spray painted anti-government slogans on the walls for shits and giggles. We were a bunch of stupid teenagers and the stupid things we did were more teenage rebellion than government protest. But, when my friends got caught and brought before the inquisition they ratted on me to save their own skins and the only way I escaped being gassed was agreeing to become a spy and seek out others who were planning to rebel. That's what being friends with someone got me, Doctor. It almost got me killed."

"And now instead of rising up and fighting against the injustice that is all around you; the injustice that led to your friends turning you in and getting you imprisoned, you do the exact opposite and do the very same thing to others that was done to you. Odd way to get revenge on your friends, if you ask me. Especially since these people you help put to death weren't the ones that turned you in to the authorities in the first place."

"I am doing the empire a service."

"No, you are doing yourself a disservice by being a coward and not standing up for what's right." The Doctor said. "I'm so sorry what your friends did to you, Quazak, I really am. No one should have to deal with the pain of a friend's betrayal like that---"

"Like Rose?"

"No, Rose was tricked into talking. If you and Myra hadn't drugged her, she never would have said anything. Rose is loyal to a fault and I know the horror of what she had been forced to do has wounded her more deeply than any torturer ever could. The expression on her face when we were lying together in the tunnel told me that. She never would have revealed that information without being coerced. She is an example of the kind of friend everyone should have, Quazak, and that includes you. Which is why, as I was trying to say, you shouldn't have used that one incident of betrayal to turn away from other people and stab them in the back. You should have been better than that and---"

"And what? Die?"

"Or put up a fight until you were free or they killed you."

"You don't know what it's like to be in that position, Doctor."

"Oh? I believe I have. I believe there's been numerous times in my lives when I chose death over being enslaved to someone. Because that's what you are, Quazak, a slave to the empire. Granted you get perks for turning people in, but when you get down to it, it's still enslavement behind all the pretty trappings. I would rather die than be put in that position…and before you say anything, yes, I do know what it's like to die. As I told you, I'm on my tenth life and there is absolutely nothing in my nine other lives I regret doing even when the decisions I made did ultimately lead to my death and regeneration. I can say with a clear and open conscience that I've always tried to do the very best I could do for the good of the universe. Can you say the same?"

Quazak didn't reply as he ruminated over what the Doctor had said. Silently, the two of them walked together through the swirling snow towards the palace.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Rose gasped and grabbed a hold of her stomach. Bending over, she vomited onto the street for the fourth time since eating the thing she had found in the rubbish bin. She had assumed that the spongy thing she had eaten was food, but it could have just as easily been something else. Without the Doctor around to tell her, she had no way of knowing for sure. And now she was paying for it dearly as her sides heaved and she expelled the liquified rubbish from her mouth.

After about a minute, she was finished. Holding her aching sides, she fell to her knees. Ignoring the blizzard, she began to cry, thoroughly exhausted. She didn't know how much longer she could keep on going. She knew now that she could never have a normal life here. No one would offer her food or shelter without risking their own necks. She didn't doubt that she was being constantly watched even if she couldn't see anyone around her at the moment. There would be no chance of getting a decent house, a job, money. If she remained here, she would live out the rest of her days as a homeless beggar, shunned and spat on. The empire hadn't executed her, but they might as well, since what she had to look forward to now was a living death.

As she got to her feet, she thought briefly about her mum and Mickey. They would never know what happened. Her mum would spend the rest of her life waiting patiently for a daughter that would never come back to her. She was light-years away from her loved ones and she doubted that anyone would ever be willing to give her a ride or a ship to get back home. She was as good as dead to them. Her life as she knew it ended when the Doctor took his last breath. She would no longer be the same Rose Tyler. If she chose to live here, her every waking moment would be devoted to survival; living off the refuse of the Zaphradians and praying that she would make it to the next sunrise. There would be no more shopping sprees, no more movies, no more nights snuggled up beside the Doctor in the den watching the telly. The thought of a life without any leisure time sapped her will even more and thoughts of suicide began to dominate her mind.

She lowered her head and took a few more steps and then once again she felt the urge to vomit. She staggered over to a building and leaned her hand against it as she vomited onto the pavement. She narrowed her eyes and glared at the people giving her dirty looks. Giving one last heave, she leaned back up and gasped, tears filling her eyes.

Through her tears she noticed a man pause to look at her.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed at him.

The man gasped and ran off as Rose wept.

"Oh God, I don't wanna live like this." She sobbed. "What do I do, Doctor? Please help me."

She paused and listened intently for the sound of the Doctor's voice, comforting her, guiding her, helping her. But, the only thing she heard was the roaring of the wind and the only thing she saw was the swirling snow and the few people who had dared to brave the elements.

"Oh God, he's left me." She sobbed. "He doesn't want anything to do with me. He hates me."

She lowered her head to her hand and leaned against the wall as she let all her pent-up emotions loose. People quickly walked to the other side of the street and gave her odd looks as she continued to cry. Rose looked up and saw in the distance the outskirts of the city and the white desert of snow beyond it. She stared at it for a moment and then slowly, mindlessly she began to walk towards it wanting nothing more than to lay down and end her misery.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor stood beside Quazak as the lift took them up to Zargon's office.

"You've been pretty quiet, Quazak." The Doctor said. "Wanna clue me in on why?"

Quazak said nothing. The Doctor regarded him for a moment.

"Something I say get to you?" he asked him. "Perhaps what I said made some sense?"

Quazak remained silent. The Doctor shrugged.

"You always have a choice, Quazak." He said to him. "You may have made mistakes in the past, but there's always time to rectify them and become a better person."

"What you're asking for is impossible, Doctor." Quazak said dully.

The Doctor glanced at him.

"Maybe, maybe not. You'll never know unless you try, eh?" he said.

"Zargon's empire is strong, far reaching. It would take a miracle to bring it down."

"Ah, but miracles are my specialty." The Doctor said grinning. "Besides, Quazak, you ever stop to think that civilians far outnumber the spies and guards in this city? If we could rally the ordinary people to fight, we would have a chance."

There was a ding and the lift doors opened. Quazak stepped out and saw two guards standing beside the door to Zargon's office talking quietly to each other. They looked at Quazak.

"Yes?" the first guard inquired.

Quazak looked at the Doctor who was still standing in the lift with his finger on the open door button.

"Tell them to come over here." He whispered to him.

Quazak looked back at the guards.

"Come here." He said to them.

The guards looked at each other.

"Why?" the second guard said warily.

Quazak looked at the Doctor.

"The elevator is malfunctioning and you want them to take a look at it."

Quazak looked back at the guards.

"There's something wrong with the elevator. It's stuck. Can you come take a look at it?" he said to them.

The guards glanced at each other.

"Call maintenance." the first guard said.

Quazak glanced at the Doctor.

"I don't have a phone." He said without prompting.

The guard looked at his companion and sighed. They left their posts and headed down the corridor towards Quazak.

"Look," the second guard said as he walked up to Quazak. "The door for the stairs is just down the hall. Go to it, go back downstairs and find a phone. We don't have time for this. Get a hold of maintenance and make a report and---"

He was cut short when he and his friend saw the Doctor standing in the lift. The Doctor stared back at them and then feigned shock as he stared down at the finger on the button.

"Oh my, am I the one keeping the lift doors open?" he said with wide eyes. "I'm so sorry; I didn't realize my finger was on the button."

He slapped his forehead.

"What was I thinking? My mind must be a million miles away, I guess. Silly, scatterbrained me."

The guards stared at him for a moment.

"Wait a minute, aren't you…" the first guard said pointing in disbelief.

"Yes, I admit it, I am Orlando Bloom. I was wearing this disguise so my hordes of female fans wouldn't recognize me, but I guess I can't fool a couple of clever chaps like you. Darn, now I suppose you want my autograph."

Before the guards could react, the Doctor shot out of the lift and punched them both in the face. They staggered backwards, hit the wall and slumped to the floor unconscious.

"Sorry, I don't have a pen with me." The Doctor said as the lift doors closed behind him. "I hope you treasure the black eyes I gave you though. Now you can tell all your friends you were slugged by Orlando Bloom. They'll be just green with envy!"

He looked over at Quazak who was giving him an odd look.

"Orlando Bloom's a celebrity on Earth." He said.

Quazak shrugged.

"If you say so." He muttered.

The Doctor turned and started down the corridor towards Zargon's office. He took a few steps and paused to look back at him.

"Well?"

Quazak frowned.

"Well, what?"

"You gonna stop me?"

Quazak shrugged.

"Would I be able to?"

"Um…no, but I would have expected you to make an effort. After all, I'm about to barge into your boss's office. That doesn't worry you?"

"I let you come this far, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did, which makes me think I finally got through to you. After all, you could have yelled for help at any time while we were walking here. But, you didn't. I just slugged two guards right in front of you and you didn't say a word. And now, I'm about to gain entrance to Zargon's office and lay my hands on him and still you stand there and do nothing; which kinda suggests to me that you are on my side."

He folded his arms over his chest.

"Am I right?" he said looking at him.

Quazak stared back at him.

"Well?"

Quazak sighed.

"I really don't know. I don't know what to think anymore." He said.

"Well, if I were you, I'd make up your mind pretty quick because once I'm through with Zargon, I'll be moving on to his patsies and last time I looked you were one of them. So, moment of truth, Quazak; who will you help? Me or him? Because I'm telling you right now you can't be undecided and switch to the winning side at the last minute. That's not how I do things. You're either for me or against me, so which is it?"

Quazak hesitated.

"Quazak, help me." The Doctor urged. "You aren't a bad person; you've just made some bad decisions. No one is beyond forgiveness. There's still time to right the wrongs you've done. Zargon is an evil, sadistic tyrant who needs to be stopped. I can't do it alone. I need your help. So I'm asking you, please do the right thing and help me bring him down."

"Can we really do it?"

The Doctor smiled.

"I'm not sure, but if we don't, we'll go down fighting with everything we've got." He said.

Quazak stared at Zargon's door. He thought back to his arrest and everything that had happened since it. He thought of all the lives he had destroyed because he had been too cowardly to stand up for what was right. He looked at the Doctor and saw the determination and sense of purpose in his eyes and finally realized why the man was such a legend. Because he dared to speak for those who had no voice and fight for those who could not take up arms. He looked tyrants right in the eyes and did not shrink from them in fear, but fought them bravely because he knew in his hearts that was the right thing to do and that was his purpose in life. Quazak knew now why millions of species across the universe venerated this man and raised him to near god-like status. He was a hero through and through and Quazak suddenly found himself wanting to emulate him. He nodded.

"Yes, Doctor, I will help you fight Zargon and bring down his government."

His eyes widened with surprise when the Doctor grinned and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Then I will fight alongside you, Quazak, as a friend and an ally." He said.

Quazak returned the smile realizing that he had been a fool to turn his back on the Doctor and Rose's offer of friendship. It felt good to know he had true friends again. He put his hand on the Doctor's arm.

"I would be honored to have you and Rose as my friends." He said.

The Doctor grinned from ear to ear.

"Good." He said.

They let go of each other.

"Well, now that we've settled that..." The Doctor said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Zargon looked up when he heard someone knocking on his door.

"Enter." He said.

His eyes widened with shock and disbelief when the door opened and the Doctor strode in.

"Hello, I'm here to register a complaint about your judicial system." He said cheerfully.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

The Doctor smirked at the shocked look on Zargon's face.

"Yes," he said. "I have a thing or two to say about the way you treat visitors to your planet. See, one moment my friend and I were walking through your fair city minding our own business…"

He walked around in a circle saying "La, la, la, lala."

He stopped.

"And the next minute we are thrust into a series of events that led to us being thrown into a couple of filthy, stinking cells and little ol moi being interrogated by a bunch of hooded men like I had done something wrong. And if that wasn't enough, I find myself being strapped to a chair and being executed. Me! Yours truly! Being gassed like I did something wrong! I couldn't believe it! After all, this planet came so highly recommended and the guidebook raved about Zaphros and its friendly citizens and enchanting cuisine and breathtaking vistas. So, I said, why not? So, I came and what do I get? Death? Death! I didn't pay 5 quid for a guidebook so I could come here and get death! I want to talk to someone about this and file a complaint! Now who's in charge of tourism?"

He paused and smirked when Zargon remained speechless. He looked behind him at Quazak.

"Quazak, who's in charge of tourism around here?" he asked him.

"He is, I guess." Quazak said not really sure where the Doctor was going with this.

"Ah!" the Doctor said looking back at Zargon. "Then, I want to register a complaint over the way Rose and I have been treated."

He looked Zargon straight in the eyes.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" he asked. "Not so brave when the people you execute suddenly turn up in your office demanding an explanation, eh? It's so much easier for you to sit here in this comfy office on your fat arse and give the order to kill innocent people, isn't it?"

Quazak widened his eyes when he noticed Zargon wasn't doing or saying anything and just letting the Doctor insult him. Looking at him, he saw Zargon trembling slightly and contempt showed on his face. How he could ever think this man was anything other than a spineless weakling was beyond him. Emboldened by his reaction to the Doctor, he stepped up beside his friend.

"It's time for you to step down, Zargon." He said. "Your reign of terror is over!"

The Doctor grinned at Quazak as Zargon focused his stunned gaze on him. Looking at his spy standing right beside public enemy number one snapped him out of his shock and his face twisted in anger as he leapt from his chair.

"How dare you address me in this manner!" he said to Quazak. "I'll have you thrown in the gas chamber for this!"

"Try it!" Quazak said folding his arms over his chest and giving him a defiant look.

Zargon paused, stunned. He had dealt with Quazak only a handful of times since he had come to work for the empire and each time the spy had been afraid to look him in the face much less say something back. The fact that he was standing in front of him unafraid threw him off guard and he looked up at the Doctor who was standing beside him with a smirk on his face.

"Well, you gonna try it or not?" the Doctor said. "I'm just waiting to see what happens between you two."

The Doctor's eyes widened when he felt Quazak thrust his hand in his trench coat pocket and pull out his sonic screwdriver.

"I have lived as a slave for far too long, Zargon!" he said thrusting the screwdriver in his face. "Now it's your turn to be executed! Long live the Doctor!"

He pushed the button and waited for Zargon's head to explode.

"Um…Quazak…" the Doctor said.

Quazak took his finger off the button. He brought the screwdriver over to his face and looked at it in confusion. He looked up at the Doctor.

"Um…it's not working. What setting do I use?" he asked.

The Doctor let out a nervous cough.

"Um…the whole thing about blowing your head up, that was actually a teensy weensy white lie." He muttered softly out of the side of his mouth.

Quazak's eyes widened.

"You mean that whole thing really was a bluff? I could have overpowered you then and there in the prison?" he yelled.

The Doctor stared at him in shock for a moment and looked over at Zargon who was completely livid.

"Weeeeeeeell, um…yeah…sorry." He said hesitantly. "But, hey, on the plus side you gained two friends so I guess everything works out in the end then, huh?"

"So, do you have anything that will kill him?" Quazak asked.

The Doctor widened his eyes. Silently, he jerked his head repeatedly at Zargon.

"What?" Quazak asked.

The Doctor sighed and got down into his ear.

"Number one, no I don't." he whispered. "Number two, I'm not gonna say I don't because there's a man standing right in front of us who could use that tidbit to his advantage and have us thrown back in the gas chamber or worse. You see, I was gonna tell him the same thing I told you about my screwdriver until you decided to thrust your hand into my pocket, take it out, use it and then announce to everyone within a two mile radius that it doesn't work. So, now I gotta think up something else on the spot before we're swarmed by a million, billion guards."

Quazak winced.

"Sorry, Doctor, I didn't think." He said sheepishly. "I'm really sorry."

"Eh, think nothing of it. I'm brilliant at improvisation. Watch!"

He punched Zargon hard in the gut. As Zargon let out a pained gasp and bent over, the Doctor looked at Quazak and gestured to him.

"See, thought of that right off the top of my head. "He said. "Comes from years and years of experience at this sort of thing."

Zargon reared his head up.

"GUARDS!" he screamed.

The Doctor paused, put a hand to his ear and pretended to listen.

"Hmmm, I don't hear them coming, do you Quazak?"

"Nope." Quazak said grinning.

"Which means they must be incapacitated."

"Yup."

"Which means the Pillsbury Dough Boy should have secured this floor a little better."

"Yup…I guess."

The Doctor grinned at him.

"Which means that we are aaaaaaaaaall alone." He said.

He used his sonic screwdriver to disable Zargon's phone and put it back in his pocket.

"Now, let's talk, man to man; or should I say, tubby despot to Time Lord." He said coming around the desk.

Zargon tried to go around the other side, but Quazak quickly stepped in front of him.

"Out of my way, dog, before I have you thrown into the gas chamber." He snarled.

Without warning, Quazak's fist shot out and landed in his corpulent gut. He smirked when Zargon let out another gasp and bent over.

"No fair, you're copying me!" the Doctor said indignantly.

Quazak shot him an apologetic look only to see the Doctor grinning with amusement.

He headed around the desk, grabbed Zargon by the sparse hair on his head and jerked his head back up.

"Now, let's talk about your resignation, shall we?" he snarled.

"I'd rather die first!" Zargon spat out.

"That could be arranged. Although it might take a week or so until you die because I have a feeling we'll have to install a bigger chair in the gas chamber just to hold you. Which really doesn't work for me since I'm not a very patient person so why don't we just go with the whole stepping down scenario instead?"

"You'll never get away with this, Time Lord! I don't know how you survived the gas chamber, but rest assured you will be recaptured and next time there will be no mistakes."

"Yada, yada, yada…" the Doctor said opening and closing his hand. "Got any more empty threats, because I've heard em all. My personal favorite, by the way, is soon you will be my mindless slave, Doctor. That one always gives me a giggle. But anyway, back to you and your stepping down from power. I believe you are going to go on telly and tell all your citizens that you're heading for an early retirement because if you don't, you will be seen on telly standing in the middle of the gas chamber pounding on the dome and screaming for help until you collapse and die. This seems rather embarrassing to me. I think I would opt for the retirement, but then to each his own."

Zargon gasped as the Doctor seized him by the throat.

"Now, where can we broadcast from?" he snarled.

"The…the booth overlooking the gas chamber." Zargon gasped out.

"Cheers! Let's get going then! I have a companion to locate after this."

"Wait, Doctor." Quazak said grabbing his arm.

The Doctor looked at him.

"You don't have to go that far. Zargon has a holovision studio in the basement of this building. He uses it to broadcast speeches from time to time."

The Doctor looked at Zargon.

"Is that so?" he said. "I see, so you were hoping we would be recaptured when we were walking you back to the prison. Naughty, naughty boy. You don't want to make a Time Lord angry because when Time Lords get angry, bad things happen and I'm sure you don't want that, do you?"

He tightened his hold on Zargon's neck.

"Now march, fat boy, and you better behave or I'll rip your head apart with my own two hands!"


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

"You first!" The Doctor said shoving Zargon into the lift.

Zargon glared at him.

"You'll never get away with this." He said.

The Doctor let out an exasperated sigh.

"Will everyone please stop saying that to me? I'm getting tired of hearing it." He said.

He let Quazak get on and then he stepped inside. He leaned against the lift door after it closed and stared at Zargon.

"You may force me to step down, but I'll be back." He said.

"Oh, I seriously doubt that. After I get through here, no one will want you back in power. You'll be lucky if a vigilante squad doesn't string you up by your neck for what you've done. Personally I'd take a long holiday if I were you. A very long holiday."

"And what about you, Time Lord? After you're finished here, you'll just go on invading other planets and forcing them to adopt your way of doing things?"

"Just like you're forcing people to do what you want?"

"I improved this planet. I brought peace and harmony to Zaphradia!"

"No, you brought death and destruction."

"Just like you, Doctor? I know all about the Time War. I know what you did to your own people and the people on those other poor planets that were unfortunate enough to cross your path."

"I did it to save the universe." The Doctor shot back. "I did what I had to do and I regretted it. I regretted each life that was lost, but it was a necessary sacrifice!"

"Was it, Doctor? You accuse me of killing unnecessarily, but I'm only doing the exact same thing you are doing. I am getting rid of potential anarchists and preserving the peace for the good of the planet. But, apparently when you do it, it's okay because you're the righteous Time Lord protecting the universe. But really, Doctor, there is no difference between us. You are playing god and deciding who lives and dies just as I am, aren't you?"

The Doctor was silent.

"What's wrong, Doctor, no snappy little comeback for that? It's because deep down inside you know what you are doing is wrong. I know all about your race, Doctor. The Time Lords were sworn to watch events, never to interfere. You, however, thought yourself a god and decided to impose your will upon others because you, in your arrogance, couldn't stand the thought of the universe functioning without your guiding, saintly hand. So, you come to planets with the aim of enforcing your code of ethics upon them and when they protest, you tell them it's for their own good. That's the real reason you came here, isn't it?"

"No."

"I don't believe you, Doctor. I don't believe that you picked this planet randomly in a game. That's just another excuse."

"Believe whatever you want. It makes no difference to me. All that matters is your reign of terror ends today."

"You call it a reign of terror based on your standards then?"

"No, I call it a reign of terror because that's what it is. You can call it pretty little euphemisms and make up excuses left and right for what you do, but in the end it is murder plain and simple."

"So what's the difference between my reign of terror and yours? When all your people died in the Time War by your hand, was that not murder too? I have only killed a handful of people compared to you, Doctor. How many planets and species have ceased to exist in your universal crusade for justice? I have never committed genocide, Doctor, have you?"

Quazak gasped as the Doctor shot across the lift, grabbed Zargon by the neck and shoved him against the back wall.

"You don't know what it's like to be me, so don't even try to make a comparison." The Doctor snarled. "You sit on your fat arse in your office and don't give a damn about anyone except yourself. You sign orders of execution and send people to their deaths without a second thought. You are nothing like me. You are nothing but a fat, arrogant, bastard smug in his own superiority. You sent me to the gas chamber because you were terrified of me. Terrified that I would end your little regime and bring to light all your atrocities. You know what you do is wrong, that's why I'm such a threat to you! If you want to view all this as me imposing my will on your peaceful, little empire then so be it. I don't care what goes through that fat head of yours. I care that innocent people are getting hurt and I'm putting my foot down and ending it now. Don't like that? Tough. When you tried to kill me, you got me involved in your affairs. Maybe if you'd left me and my friend alone, I would have left you alone, but it's too late now."

There was a ding and the lift door opened. The Doctor looked out.

"Is this the basement?" he asked Quazak.

"Yes."

The Doctor shoved Zargon towards the door.

"Now shut your gob and get out there." He snarled. "You have work to do."

"How are you gonna force me to do this? You have no weapons." Zargon said.

"I don't need any weapons, trust me." The Doctor replied. "Now get going."

Zargon glared at him briefly before turning and walking down the corridor. They passed several doors before he stopped at one on his left.

"This is it." Zargon said gesturing to the door. "This is the holovision studio."

The Doctor glanced at Quazak.

"Is it?" he asked.

"Yeah, this is it."

The Doctor poked Zargon on the back.

"You first, your majesty." He said to him.

Zargon opened the door and the three of them stepped inside. The Doctor saw a desk at the back of the room with two gold and yellow Zaphradian flags flanking it. In front of it was a long, thick glass tube with a clear, glass ball on top that served as the camera. Quazak closed the door behind them. He reached over and raised the dimmer switch and the lights became brighter.

"Do you know how to work the camera?" the Doctor asked Quazak.

"Kinda, I know enough to get by."

"Good, you work the camera then."

He shoved Zargon.

"Come on, highness, your public is waiting." He said.

"You think you have it all figured out, don't you, Doctor?" Zargon said to him.

"I do have it all figured out. You sit at that desk, the camera goes on, you admit how much of a sick bastard you are and say you're stepping down, you step down and relinquish power to the people and I find my companion and finally leave this place. Oh! And I almost forgot, Quazak and Safira leave with me too."

Quazak looked at him.

"Me?"

He smiled at him.

"Reward for helping me. I can take you anywhere you want to go. You can start your life over on a planet where no one's ever heard of you. Start afresh. A second chance. How 'bout it?"

"Yes, I…would like that." Quazak said, a grin spreading over his face.

"Done. And I'm offering the same for Safira, as well. She's an orphan that has so much to offer the world and she deserves so much more than a life here. But, first things first, walk over to the desk and let's begin."

"I think not."

The Doctor sighed.

"Why do they always argue?" he muttered to himself. "Fine, if I have to resort to force---"

"You didn't think to check me, did you Time Lord?" Zargon interrupted.

He smirked when the Doctor paused.

"You didn't really think that phone was the only way I could summon help, did you, my naïve Doctor? I have a tiny two way speaker sewn into all my clothes. When you barged in, I simply activated it and let my guards listen in. They know exactly where we went and you, in your stupidity, never even thought of that."

He took a deep breath.

"NOW GUARDS, ENTER AND ARREST THE TRAITOR AND THE ANARCHIST!"

The Doctor and Quazak spun around as the door banged open and several guards swarmed in.

"Oh bugger!" the Doctor said.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

The Doctor sighed.

"I don't have time for this." He muttered.

He looked at Quazak.

"Keep an eye on tubby. Don't let him leave!" he said as he jumped into the fray.

He began swinging his fists left and right trying to hit whoever he could. He backed up and grabbed his sonic screwdriver. Quickly he locked the door with it and when a guard tried to rush him, he jabbed it in his eye. As the guard howled with pain, he quickly put the screwdriver back in his pocket and decked him, knocking him out. He looked over and saw Quazak taking on a few guards.

"No, watch Zargon. I can handle this!" he called to him.

"I'm not letting you take them all on by yourself." Quazak yelled back as he kicked a guard in his shin.

As the guard fell to his knees, he kicked him in the head knocking him out.

"You said your friends helped you out when no one else would, well I'm a friend so here I am helping you out."

The Doctor smiled gratefully and nodded. He jerked his head back around and grabbed a guard by the neck.

"Oho, trying to sneak up on me. Bad move." He said.

He jerked his neck knocking the guard out. As he fell to the floor, the Doctor turned and decked another guard in the face.

"Doctor!"

The Doctor looked over and saw Zargon running for the door.

"It's alright. He won't get out." The Doctor called to him.

He gasped as a guard seized him from behind and began to strangle him.

"Sorry!" he said to the guard. "That won't work on me."

He grabbed the man's fingers and twisted them. The guard screamed in pain and broke his hold on the Doctor. The Doctor spun around and head-butted him.

"Nighty-night!" he said as the guard fell to the floor.

He spun back around, his body tensed and ready for a fight. He relaxed when he saw all the guards were unconscious.

"Ah! Now that we're done with that minor inconvenience," he said towards Zargon. "Now we can get back to…"

His eyes widened in horror when he saw Quazak was on his knees and bent over in agony as Zargon put a small laser pen back in his robes.

"Bastard!" The Doctor said lunging for him.

Zargon tried took out the pen and tried to aim it at him, but the Doctor was too quick for him. He grunted when the Doctor decked him and wrenched the pen from his hand. He hit him as hard as he could in the stomach and Zargon fell to the floor in agony. The Doctor fell to his knees beside Quazak who was breathing heavily.

"Quazak, are you okay?" he asked worriedly

He moved his hands and cursed when he saw the laser had hit him in the stomach.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, I saw Zargon trying to leave and I tried to stop him."

"He wouldn't have been able to stop, Quazak. I sealed the door shut." The Doctor said.

Quazak nodded.

"I heard you…I guess I wanted…revenge too."

The Doctor gently laid him on the floor.

"Just hold on, Quazak, don't die on me now." He said. "I'll get you back to my TARDIS after I do this. Just hold on."

"I'll…be okay. Just…do what you have to do…Rose… she needs you more than me."

"Hold on." The Doctor urged. "Just hold on!"

He leapt up and grabbed Zargon by the arm.

"Get up! My patience with you is at an end!" he snarled. "Get over there now!"

He grabbed the back of Zargon's shirt with his other hand and hauled him to his feet. Zargon glared at him.

"Get your hands off---"

"SHUT UP! I'M THROUGH LISTENING TO YOU! YOU DO AS I SAY OR ELSE!" the Doctor screamed in his face.

He quickly pulled the chair out behind the desk and shoved him into it.

"Leave this seat and so help me, Rassilon, it'll be the last thing you ever do." He said through gritted teeth.

He quickly walked to the camera.

"Quazak, how do you turn it on?"

"The red switch on the stand right under the ball. Turn it on and move the ball around until you can see him through the glass."

The Doctor nodded. He flipped the switch and looked through the ball. When he had it aimed at Zargon's face, he quickly hurried to the desk.

"Talk!" he said to him.

Zargon glared at him. The Doctor sighed angrily.

"I have no time for this crap." He muttered as he moved behind him.

He glanced again at Quazak who was lying on the floor watching them silently.

"We are broadcasting?" he asked him.

"Yes, the minute you turned on the camera, the holoprojectors would have started on every street corner and in every building, it's the law."

The Doctor nodded.

"People of Zaphros, I am the Doctor." He said speaking to the camera. "I am the so-called traitor who was executed earlier today. My companion, Rose Tyler, and I were framed by the man you see before you, but we were not the only ones. Thousands of people, friends and family members and complete strangers have been framed and executed because of this man's brutal regime. I was targeted because of who I was and it is only because of my unique abilities that I managed to survive and stand here before you today. The man you see here is the one who was running your lives, but it doesn't have to be that way. You are many and he and his associates are few. I urge you now to rise up and take back the freedom that is rightfully yours. You don't have to live as slaves any longer. Look inside yourselves, Zaphradians, and find the courage to stand against the injustice you see all around you. Do not fear death because isn't risking death preferable to living in fear and despair? Isn't risking death preferable to waiting around like sheep until the government finds you guilty of something and throws you in the gas chamber? You are better than this, Zaphradians! You deserve a life filled with opportunity and promise and happiness! Your children deserve the right to live in a free and equal society. Take back your birthright! Fight those who would oppress you!"

He paused a moment and then smiled.

"They may take our lives, but they'll never take…our freedom!" he said in a Scottish accent.

He looked down at Zargon.

"Well, got something to say before everyone goes berserk?" he asked him. "Because I'm pretty sure all of Zaphros is baying for your blood right now, so if you don't want to die a painful death, I'd speak up here and now."

Zargon let out an angry sigh.

"My people," Zargon said wearily. "There is no need for bloodshed and rebellion. I hereby relinquish all power and surrender the throne without a fight. I release all those who work for me and command them not to retaliate in any way. I will go voluntarily into a forced exile and leave the planet to be governed as the people see fit. Do not rebel, I repeat, do not rebel. There is no need for it."

He looked up at the Doctor.

"Happy?" he snarled.

"Completely." The Doctor said cheerfully.

He looked back at the camera.

"Now, before I go, I have one more thing to say and I want to direct this to a very special person. Rose? Rose, it's me. I'm alive. If you're watching this, I'm getting the TARDIS and I'm coming for you. Go to the pub, Rose. The pub where we met Quazak. I will be there in a few minutes, I promise, and then we can leave here."

He paused a moment.

"Oh, and Rose, it's not your fault. Do you hear me? You didn't betray me. I'm not angry at you. I never was. Just know that." He said tenderly.

There was another pause.

"Please, anyone who's listening, if you see Rose Tyler, the blonde girl that came here with me, please give her food and shelter and help her if she needs it. She's been through so much and I would appreciate it if you would show her some mercy since we got none from this git. Thanks."

He smiled.

"I'm coming, Rose. It's over at last." He said.

As the Doctor went to turn off the camera, he was unaware that his message had fallen on deaf ears. For at that very moment, Rose Tyler had long since departed the city and was out in the middle of the raging snowstorm walking towards her death.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

The Doctor glanced worriedly at Quazak as he helped him to walk to the courtyard where the TARDIS was being kept. In front of them Zargon walked and muttered curses under his breath.

"Quazak? You okay?" The Doctor asked.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Just get to Rose. The storm looks like it's getting worse now." He said glancing out a window.

The Doctor nodded.

"Just hold on, I'll get you to med bay and get you stabilized." He said.

He glared at Zargon.

"As for you, I'm giving you a choice. Once we get inside the TARDIS, I'm imprisoning you in a force bubble so you can't wander off and cause trouble. Now, do you want me to drop you off on any specific planet or should I take you to Volag Nok instead?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"And believe me, I'm just itchin' to take you there." He said. "But I'm a man of my word, so talk, where am I dropping off your worthless hide?"

"I don't know." Zargon muttered.

"Well, you just think about it and let me know because otherwise you're going to Volag Nok."

Zargon went back to muttering curses under his breath.

After another couple of minutes, they reached the door to the courtyard. The Doctor grinned from ear to ear when he stepped outside and saw the TARDIS sitting there.

"There you are old girl!" he said happily.

He shoved Zargon forward and reached into his pocket for the TARDIS key. Zargon and Quazak stood quietly while he unlocked the door. He grabbed Zargon by the scruff of the neck and herded him inside.

"TARDIS, activate force bubble." He said shoving him forward.

He knocked on the top of the bubble and satisfied that Zargon was contained, he went back to help Quazak inside.

Quazak's mouth dropped open as the Doctor led him in and shut the door.

"So, this is a TARDIS." He said. "I've only heard about them in legends."

"Well, now you can say you saw one in person." The Doctor said.

He put his arm around his neck and helped him up the ramp. They paused at the force bubble.

"Make yourself at home." He said grinning at Zargon. "I would offer you a snack, but that is too much work for the likes of you, sorry."

He went past the bubble towards the back door as Zargon glared at him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where is that fool?" Myra muttered to herself. "It's been hours."

She glared at Safira lying in her cot fast asleep. She snorted.

"Forget him, I'll kill the girl myself and just tell everyone she died of her wounds."

Slowly, she walked over to Safira. She stared at her for a moment and then slowly lowered her hands to Safira's neck.

Suddenly, there was a whooshing sound and Myra spun around. She stared in awe as a blue box materialized in the corner of the room. Her eyes widened when the door opened and the Doctor stepped out.

"Well, well, just the lady I was looking for." The Doctor said.

Myra tried to run but the Doctor was on her in a heartbeat. He grabbed her by the neck and forced her left arm behind her back.

"Come this way." He said forcing her to walk to the TARDIS.

He got her inside and up the ramp and then shoved her forward.

"Another force bubble, girl." He said looking up.

Myra tried to run and grunted when she smacked into the side of the bubble.

The Doctor smirked. Whistling, he turned around and walked back out.

"Safira?" he said gently as he kneeled down next to her.

Safira opened her eyes.

"Doc…tor?" she said sleepily.

"Yes, it's me. I'm taking you away from here, Safira. I'm taking you to a new home. Would you like that?"

Safira nodded and smiled.

"Okay, I'm gonna take you in my ship and then we're gonna go get Rose and we'll be on our way."

Gently, he uncovered her and smiled when he saw her wounds had healed considerably. He reached under her and gathered her into his arms.

As he stood and turned, he noticed someone peeking in at them.

"Come here a moment." He said to the young boy. "Don't be afraid. I need you to take a message to everyone for me."

The boy entered the room.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Drox." The boy replied.

"Drox is there a holoprojector down here?" he asked.

Drox shook his head.

"Then I want you to tell everyone that Zargon has stepped down and his regime is finished. Everyone is free. Let them know that and let them know that Myra was a spy sent to infiltrate this place. I have her on board my ship and I will deal with her, so you don't have to worry about her. I'm also taking Safira and Quazak with me, so there's no need to worry about them either."

He smiled at him.

"You're free, all of you." The Doctor said.

Drox smiled and nodded.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to take care of. Just be sure to give them the message."

"I will." Drox replied.

"Good."

The Doctor carried Safira inside and shut the door. Drox watched with wonder as the TARDIS dematerialized and then he hurried off to tell everyone the good news.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The men in the pub lowered their glass bowls when they heard a whooshing sound and saw the TARDIS materializing outside. They hurried outside as the Doctor opened the door.

"Doctor." The bartender said as he stepped up to him.

"Hey, nice to see you again." The Doctor said cheerfully.

"Is it true? Is Zargon finished?" He asked.

"See for yourself."

The Doctor opened the TARDIS door wider and everyone gathered around. They peered inside and saw Zargon and Myra glaring back at them. The crowd let out a cheer, jumped up and down and patted the Doctor on the back as he grinned at them.

"Now, first things first, is Rose here?" he said looking around.

The crowd fell silent. The bartender stepped forward.

"Doctor…she came here earlier wanting a drink. But…at the time I refused her service because she was a rebel and I sent her out of the pub. Doctor…I'm sorry…the holoprojector said---"

"No, it's alright. You did what you felt was right." The Doctor said holding up his hand.

"Did you see where she went?"

The bartender pointed to his right.

"I saw her walk off that way, and later on she walked back the other way and about a half hour after that she walked back the way she had come."

The Doctor looked off to his right.

"Did any of you see where she went?" he asked.

The crowd glanced at each other and shook their head.

"I did, Doctor."

The Doctor turned and saw an elderly lady approaching him from the other side of the street. She pointed off into the distance.

"She walked out of the city about an hour ago." She said. "I was out shopping and watched her do it. She walked into the blizzard."

The Doctor gulped as he stared at the near-zero visibility.

"An hour? So, she didn't hear…oh no." he said as his hearts pounded with fear. "Rose, say you didn't do what I think you did. Oh please, dear Rassilon, let me be wrong."

Without another word, he hurried back into the TARDIS and closed the doors. The crowd backed up quickly and stared in silent awe as it dematerialized in front of them.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

_And that's it, the story of my betrayal. The last story I will ever tell. Here I lay in the snow minutes away from death. I'm not afraid. I'm so tired and death is so near now. I welcome it. My frozen body will lie here for months, maybe years before they discover me. As if it matters. No one will mourn me. They probably won't even bury me. They'll just leave me to rot and…_

_Rose._

Rose opened her weary eyes when she heard the sound of her name. She let out a sigh and closed them again.

_Rose._

She opened her eyes again. Something was telling her to raise her head and look up. With great force of will, she raised her head and stared with bleary eyes into the raging blizzard. She stared into the swirling snow at a shape standing before her. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and even then she could swear she was seeing things.

A dog.

A white dog…or maybe a wolf?

Yes, a wolf, definitely a wolf.

A white wolf was standing a few feet away staring at her through the swirling snow. It's eyes glowed with a golden, radiant glow. The white coat of the beast was barely visible in the raging snowstorm giving the illusion of two floating golden orbs hovering nearby.

_Rose. Get up, Rose. He's looking for you._

Rose frowned. The wolf wasn't moving its mouth and yet…she could hear it as clear as a bell. A woman's voice was speaking to her…and it seemed like the voice was coming from inside her head.

_Get up, Rose. He's near. He's come for you._ The voice said.

"Who?" Rose croaked out.

_The Doctor. He is near. He's searching for you. I can lead you to him, but you must get up!_

"The Doc..tor?" Rose gasped out.

_Yes, he is nearby. But, he will never find you in time without my help. Get up, Rose. I will lead you to him!_

"The Doctor…hates me."

_No, Rose, he loves you more than life itself. He is fighting the snow and the winds to find you. Your beloved is anguished. He seeks you, Rose. You must go to him._

"Doc…tor." Rose gasped out. "Doc…tor, I'm…here…I'm here!"

_He can't hear you, Rose. He is still too far away. You must rise and come with me. I will lead you to him._

"I…can't."

_Yes, you can, Rose. I will help you. Get up, Rose. Get up before it's too late! _

Rose grunted as she slowly moved her frozen limbs. The wolf watched her patiently as she struggled to her feet.

_That's it, Rose. Get up. Get up and go to him!_ The voice urged.

Rose staggered through the snow towards the wolf. It waited a moment and then turned.

_Follow me, Rose. I will take you to him._

With all the strength she could muster, Rose followed the wolf blindly through the snowstorm.

"Doc…tor, Doc…tor." She gasped out.

She managed somehow to keep putting one foot in front of the other even though her frozen body was screaming at her to lie down and die.

"My…love, I'm…coming." She rasped out as she followed the wolf through the blinding snowstorm.

She blinked trying to keep the blowing snow out of her eyes. It was hard to make out the wolf in the snow swirling around it, but somehow she managed to keep track of it.

_That's it, Rose, keep going._ The voice urged. _You're almost there. He's not far now. He'll be so happy to see you and hold you in his arms again._

Those words spurred Rose on. The thought of lying in her beloved's warm arms made her want to fight even harder to reach him. She gasped as she staggered through the snow drifts trying to see through the blizzard for any sign of the Doctor.

She gasped as she walked into a deep snowdrift and she fell forward into the snow. She struggled to get up, but the last of her strength left her quickly and she reached out her hand.

"Help me." She begged the wolf.

But the wolf had vanished. Rose let out an agonized cry of despair and sank her head back onto the snow.

"I…tried…my love." She said softly as she closed her eyes. "I tried…so hard."

As she lay in the snow, she didn't notice the shape coming towards her. The shape that was nearing her prone body. A human-sized shape that sped up upon seeing her.

"Rose!"

Rose barely registered being picked up and held close to something.

"It's alright, my darling." A man's voice whispered in her ear. "I'm here now. Everything will be alright now."

And with that Rose Tyler lost consciousness.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six

For about a week, Rose Tyler clung to life as she faded in and out of consciousness. She had no idea where she was. She was so weak; she could barely open her eyes let alone focus them on her surroundings. The few times that she regained consciousness, she could feel her body under something soft and warm and the sound of a constant drip, drip, drip beside her. There were other times when she was aware of someone holding her close to her body. She could hear the rhythmic pounding of a double heartbeat in one ear and the whispered voice of a man in the other. There were times when the voice was saying hushed words of love, other times she could hear the man sobbing quietly. The few times she tried to open her eyes and focus, she saw only a blurry face looking down at her and then she sank into unconsciousness once more.

Finally, Rose regained enough strength to open her eyes and keep them open. She looked around and saw that she was lying under her heavy pink comforter in her bedroom on the TARDIS. She looked to her right and noticed an IV bag dripping a clear liquid into her arm. She stared at the IV bag silently thinking back to what had happened before she lost consciousness in the snow. She vaguely remembered the snow and the cold; it seemed like a distant memory now that she was lying warm and safe in her bed. She remembered the wolf that tried to lead her to the Doctor. It must have succeeded for her to be lying in her bed. She tried to raise her head to look for the Doctor. But she felt dizzy and lowered it back onto the pillow. Sighing, she turned to look at the IV bag again and listened to the steady drip, drip, drip.

She wasn't sure how long she had been staring at the IV bag before she was aware of the sound of her door opening. She looked over and her eyes widened in fear when she saw Quazak enter carrying a damp towel in his hands.

"Whoa, Rose. It's alright," Quazak quickly said when she opened her mouth to scream. "I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. I saw the error of my ways and I helped the Doctor escape Zargon. He's taking me to a new planet, but first he's letting me stay on board and help take care of you and Safira. I was worried about you especially and I wanted to make sure you were okay before I left."

Cautiously, he moved towards the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he said leaning over and putting the towel across her forehead.

"I…feel so weak." Rose managed to get out.

Quazak nodded.

"I imagine so. Being out in the blizzard like that, you nearly died. There were a couple of times when we thought you weren't gonna make it. The Doctor's been beside himself with grief. He hasn't ate or slept since he got you in here."

"Where…is he?" Rose said.

Quazak smiled.

"I'll go get him for you."

He turned to go and then paused.

"Rose." He said turning back and taking her hand. "I want to apologize for what I did. I know there's no excuse for treating you the way I did, but know that at the time I was acting out of fear of Zargon. A completely misguided fear, I realize now. I'm so, so sorry, Rose. Please forgive me."

"I…forgive you." Rose said weakly.

Quazak smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

"I'll get the Doctor." He said winking. "Don't run off now."

Rose managed a weak laugh. Quazak let go of her hand and hurried out the door.

After what seemed like hours, a familiar figure appeared in her bedroom door.

"Wotcha." Rose said softly.

The Doctor ran his hand over his eyes wiping the tears away.

"Hey," he said softly, putting a smile on his face as he walked to her side. "You'll never believe what I found when I was out taking skiing lessons. Honestly, they need to do a better job clearing the obstacles from the slopes."

"Shut up." Rose said managing a weak smile.

The Doctor swallowed hard and took her hand in his. He ran the back of his hand down her cheek as he stared at her silently.

"My darling, my precious darling." He said in a hushed whisper. "I almost lost you. My hearts, my soul."

He raised her hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

"Doctor." Rose whispered. "How…how did you escape? I saw you die. I---"

"Shhhh, my beloved, there will time for that later. You need to rest now and get your strength back." He said, holding her hand against his cheek.

He closed his eyes holding back the tears as he nuzzled her hand and kissed the back of it.

"You didn't betray me, Rose." He whispered as he ran his hand up and down her cheek. "Know that. You didn't do anything wrong. You were given truth serum. You weren't in control, my love. I'm not angry and I don't hate you, I could never hate you."

He stopped and rested his hand against her cheek.

"Do you hear me, Rose? Do you hear what I'm saying?" he said desperately.

"Yes, Doctor. I hear you." Rose said.

"You believe that, don't you? You know that you weren't at fault?"

Rose swallowed.

"I took the drink without thinking, Doctor. I drank it without questioning anything."

The Doctor stroked her cheek with his fingertips.

"You had no reason to suspect them. Even I was taken in by them. You were cold after being out in the blizzard with me and they gave you something warm to drink. I don't blame you for drinking it, Rose; I would have done the same."

He leaned over and kissed her nose.

"Promise me you'll never think of committing suicide again, Rose. Swear that you'll never do that to me again. My hearts almost shattered when I found out what you did."

"I…thought I didn't have any choice. They told everyone I was a rebel and no one would take me in or give me anything to eat or drink or help me. People avoided me and some hit me with rocks. I had to sleep in a skip and eat out of a rubbish bin…"

She stopped when she saw the anguish in the Doctor's eyes at hearing that. He gathered her into her arms and leaned over her body enveloping her in his embrace.

"Oh my love." He moaned.

He kissed her cheek and let his lips linger there for a moment before leaning back up and looking at her.

"Yes, Rose, I understand why you did what you did. But, just the same, I'm begging you not to do that again. Killing yourself isn't the answer to anything. There is always a way out even if you can't see it at first. Nothing is worth ending your life, and that includes me. Promise me you won't think of doing that again."

Rose swallowed hard.

"I promise, Doctor." She said.

The Doctor cupped her face with his hand and stared at her with love in his eyes. He ran his finger across her lips.

"Now, I want you to get some sleep. You need to get your strength back because I'm bored and I need three more numbers."

He smiled when Rose managed a weak laugh.

"You never learn, do you?" she asked.

"Nope, I'm completely unteachable and I'm proud of that." He replied, his eyes shining.

He kissed her gently on the lips as he laid her head back on the pillow.

"I will be out in the console room and I'll come in to check on your every so often. Just try to rest." He said.

Rose nodded. The Doctor pulled the comforter up to her chin and kissed her lips once more before he rose and left the room. Rose smiled softly and let out a contented sigh as her eyes closed and she surrendered herself to sleep.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

(Three days later…)

Rose clung to the Doctor as she slowly walked with him into the console room. He kept his arm around her protecting and supporting her as they bid Quazak and Safira goodbye.

"You sure you want off here?" The Doctor said as they walked them to the door.

"Yes, I think Marnos Twelve will be perfect." Quazak said. "For one thing it's a tropical climate so there'll be no more snow."

"Yeah, I don't blame you for that."

"And I've heard the people are friendly and it's a free and democratic society."

He smiled at Safira.

"Perfect place for me and my adopted daughter to make a new start." He said.

The Doctor smiled at Safira. Her wounds had completely healed and she was looking more radiant and lovely than ever. She stepped forward and took the Doctor's hands.

"Thank you so much for everything, Doctor." She said. "If it wasn't for you, I would have died."

He blushed when she kissed his cheek.

"I want to thank you too, Doctor. You gave me a second chance when no one else would have. You showed me that I don't have to be a slave to my past. How can I ever thank you?"

"Just raise Safira so she grows into a beautiful, strong, young woman, that's all I ask."

"That I will." Quazak said putting his arm around Safira.

He smiled at Rose.

"Goodbye, Rose, take care." He said.

"You too." Rose replied.

Safira embraced her.

"I want to also thank you for healing me." She said.

"Aw, it was nothing. The Doctor did most of it." She said.

She let go and took Quazak's hand. The Doctor and Rose walked with them to the door. Rose grabbed the railing briefly so the Doctor could open the door and then he put his arm back around her. All of them walked out and looked around. The sky was a pink hue and two suns blazed in the sky warming the pale blue grass beneath their feet. Ahead of them they could see a city rising majestically into the sky.

"Very pretty." The Doctor said.

He gave Rose an impish grin.

"Come on, let's go stir up some trouble." He said.

Rose snorted.

"You first, I think I'll sit this one out." She said.

The Doctor chuckled and rubbed her side. He smiled at Quazak and Safira.

"All kidding aside, I would love to come and visit again once you're all settled in. Just to see how you two are doing." He said.

"I would love that." Quazak said.

"Me too." Added Safira.

"Fantastic. Well, we'll just pop back in the TARDIS and set the coordinates for about oh, five years in the future and we'll pop right back out again. Just meet us right here in five years."

"No, I think you and me will wait awhile." Rose said as the Doctor snickered. "I'm tired enough as it is."

"Drat, well, had to try." The Doctor said as Quazak and Safira laughed.

He shook Quazak's hand and Rose hugged him. They both hugged Safira and with a wave, they headed back into the TARDIS. Quazak and Safira stepped back and put their arms around each other as the TARDIS dematerialized.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rose sighed with relief as she sank down onto the captain's chair.

"Oh God, that took a lot out of me." She said. "I think it's gonna be awhile before I've got all my strength back."

The Doctor sat down beside her and put his arm around her.

"Rose, there's something I want to give you before I forget." He said.

"Yeah?" Rose replied giving him a quizzical look.

The Doctor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out her TARDIS key.

"I found this under my hand when I woke up in the coffin." He said. "I have my own so I think I should return this one to its rightful owner."

He draped it around her neck.

"Now listen to me and listen well, Rose Tyler. This TARDIS key doesn't leave your neck ever again and I mean that; even if I have to staple it directly to your body. Is that understood?"

"Understood." Rose said.

She put the key back under her shirt and leaned against the Doctor.

"You never did tell me how you escaped from the gas chamber." She said.

He frowned at her.

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" he said in disbelief.

"Uh…no."

"I used my respiratory bypass system."

"Your what?"

"My respiratory bypass system. The thing that allows me to keep on breathing when my oxygen supply is threatened. I never told you about that?"

"No, Doctor," Rose said sighing. "Just like you neglected to mention the fact that you can regenerate until after it happened."

"Well, I'm sorry. I can't keep track of everything I tell you or don't tell you." The Doctor said. "I'm too busy thinking up other brilliant things to mention small details like that."

"Small? I thought you died! I watched them strap you into the chair and you were convulsing right in front of me."

"That was play acting, Rose. It would have looked awfully strange if poison gas was rising up from the floor and I was just calmly sitting there whistling to myself, don't you think? I winked at you, didn't you see it?"

"Yeah…but your left eye was swollen shut so I wasn't sure if it was a wink or if you were just blinking." She said.

The Doctor sighed and shook his head.

"Then, I suppose the next time I'm about to be gassed, I'll have to make a sign beforehand that says, I'm winking, Rose, not blinking."

"What about your pulse? I checked it when you were lying there and you didn't have one. How'd you manage that one?"

"Gee, I guess I also neglected to mention the whole "meditative trace that can slow down my heartbeat to almost nil" ability?"

"Yes, you did. Is there anything else you can do that I should know about for future reference?"

The Doctor widened his eyes as he thought.

"Um, I know how to milk a cow and shear a sheep. Or are you just talking about what I can do with my body?"

"What you can do with your body that a human can't do that will keep me from freaking out the next time you decide to escape death without telling me." Rose said.

"Um…Nothing comes to mind at the moment."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

The Doctor paused a moment.

"Aspirin can kill me." He said.

Rose looked at him.

"It…can?"

"Yup, just throwing that little tidbit in just in case I get injured and you think I need something for the pain."

Rose nodded.

"No aspirin, gotcha." She said. "Anything else?"

"Nope, if something else comes out, I'll let you know."

Rose snorted.

"Yeah, right, you'll forget this conversation about an hour from now because you'll be on to something more important."

"Yup, probably so."

He grinned at her and kissed her cheek.

"And now before I go on to all these other important things you were talking about, I want to take you back to your bedroom so you can rest up. It's no fun going out and exploring by myself, you know. I need someone to listen to my ramblings."

"Gee, I can't wait." Rose said rolling her eyes.

She giggled as the Doctor poked her in the side.

They stood up and he put his arm around her back.

"Doctor?"

"Hmmm?"

"What happened to Zargon? What did you do with him?" Rose asked as they walked towards her bedroom.

"Ah, well, after I forced him to step down, I brought him and Myra onto the TARDIS and took them both to a planet where they could live in exile."

"Where did you take them?"

"Weeeeeell, they wanted to go to Acreon which is a paradise planet and I swear I punched the right coordinates in, but somehow we landed on Tarsis and when they wandered outside to take a look, I accidently leaned on the controls and the TARDIS left them behind. I can't imagine what got into me; I'm usually not that clumsy."

"Where is Tarsis?"

The Doctor grinned.

"Oh, it's this barren, arid desert planet out in the middle of nowhere. But, like I said, I was heading for Acreon, I swear!"

"You're a sneaky little git sometimes, you know that?"

"What do you mean, Rose? I really was going to take them to Acreon, honestly! I just…fudged it…a bit."

Rose giggled as the Doctor kissed the top of her head. They entered the room and he helped her into bed. He covered her up and kissed her nose.

"I love you, my Rose." He whispered.

"I love you too, Doctor."

"Get some sleep and I'll be in to check on you later."

Rose nodded. The Doctor ran his hand down her cheek and turned to leave.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor turned back.

"Yeah?"

"That wolf that saved my life, what happened to it?"

The Doctor frowned.

"Wolf? What wolf?"

"The white wolf with the glowing eyes. The one that led me to you. It disappeared right before I passed out. Did it go and get you?"

"Rose, there was no wolf. We were the only ones out in that storm."

"No, there was a white wolf with gold, glowing eyes. I saw it. It told me to get up and go to you because you were searching for me. It led me to you, Doctor. I would have frozen to death if it hadn't helped me."

The Doctor walked back over. He knelt down and put his hand to her cheek.

"Rose, there was no wolf." He said gently. "You must have been hallucinating, my darling. You were nearly dead when I found you."

Rose frowned.

"But, It seemed so real." She said.

The Doctor stroked her hair.

"People can hallucinate things when they're near death and the brain's shutting down." He said tenderly. "I know that I never saw a wolf or any other animal while I was out there. I took the TARDIS back to its original spot and walked forward towards the city hoping I would run into you at some point. There wasn't any wolf leading me."

He smiled softly when he saw the confusion on Rose's face.

"I think you were seeing things, Rose. There aren't any wolves on Zaphradia. Never have been."

"Maybe you're right." Rose murmured.

The Doctor kissed her cheek.

"Get some sleep, Rose. It's over now, so there's no use worrying about it."

Rose nodded. She watched as the Doctor rose, gave her another smile and then left the room. She lay there for the longest time wondering if the wolf had really been there or if it really was just her dying mind playing tricks on her. She sighed knowing she would probably never know for sure and taking the Doctor's advice, she snuggled down under the comforter and closed her eyes safe in the knowledge that she was warm and safe at home with the Doctor.

THE END.


End file.
